(119) Assessing Student Pharmacists' Perceptions and Knowledge of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Healthcare

Objective : To survey perceptions and knowledge of transgender/gender-diverse (TGD) healthcare amongst first- through fourth-year (P1-P4) pharmacy students.

Methods: P1-P4 pharmacy students at the University of Texas at Austin were recruited to complete a de-identified survey assessing perceptions and knowledge of TGD healthcare. The demographic data collected included year in pharmacy school and interaction with TGD individuals. The survey included 16 items related to perceptions of TGD healthcare. Furthermore, it contained six items regarding TGD healthcare knowledge with themes in health outcomes, gender-affirming therapy (GAT), and preventative care. The answers to Likert scale responses (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) were compared using Kruskal-Wallis tests. A chi-squared test was used to compare the percentages of correct answers regarding TGD healthcare knowledge.

Results: A total of 150 pharmacy students participated in the survey. There were 62 P1s (41.3%), 40 P2s (26.7%), 16 P3s (10.7%), and 32 P4s (21.3%). A majority of students (95%) strongly agreed or agreed that it was important to understand the healthcare needs of TGD patients, with a similar percentage strongly agreeing across classes (P1(68%), P2(75%), P3(81%), P4(84%); NS, p=0.29). Only 14 (9%) students reported that they strongly agreed or agreed when asked whether they felt prepared to provide GAT recommendations. In contrast to other classes, a lower percentage of P4s disagreed or strongly disagreed with feeling prepared (P1(76%), P2(63%), P3(62%), P4(25%); p< 0.0001). The average score on the knowledge-based questions across all groups was 67%, with P3s and P4s generally outperforming P1s and P2s (p=.03).

Conclusions: Student pharmacists recognize the importance of TGD healthcare, yet they are not confident in providing recommendations about GAT. Therefore, pharmacy curriculums should consider incorporating longitudinal TGD healthcare education.