(245) Public Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Displayed on US Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy Websites

Objective : Despite calls to action by pharmacy organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within pharmacy education, little is known about the current public commitment of the US schools and colleges of pharmacy (S/COP) to DEI. This project reviewed S/COP websites for published information related to DEI statements, strategic plans, officer/committees and resources to define the state of DEI public commitments within S/COP.

Methods: The websites of ACPE-accredited programs were compiled from Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 and revised to eliminate multi-campus institutions and online programs in a cross-sectional review. Websites were reviewed for 9 S/COP demographics and 20 DEI variables with three main focuses on DEI statements, strategic plans, and officer/committees. Two students from separate colleges of pharmacy equally collected the data and verified each other’s work. Two faculty provided a fidelity check as independent reviewers.

Results: A total of 159 programs were reviewed, 11% (17) were eliminated, and 89% (142) were analyzed. Of the websites analyzed, 46% (65) provided one of the three major DEI variables and 12% (17) displayed all three variables. Regarding the individual DEI variables, 46% (65) of S/COP had a DEI statement, 14% (20) displayed a DEI strategic plan, and 25% (36) highlighted a dedicated DEI officer/committee. The specific verbiage that qualified as statements, strategic plans, and officer/committee were compiled as best practice examples.

Conclusions: Public facing commitment to DEI by S/COP may have implications for public accountability, and recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff. This project provides a compilation of resources and examples of institutional DEI commitments that can be utilized by S/COP as they develop their own websites.