Introduction to a Programmatic Approach to Health Disparities and Cultural Competency Training in Pharmacy Education.

The 2013 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) White Paper by O'Connell et. al introduced instructional approaches and resources for assessing health disparities (HD) and cultural competency (CC) training within the pharmacy curriculum. Instructional standards such as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2016 have been updated to state the importance of teaching "cultural awareness" and exposure to "diverse populations" within pharmacy curricula. There remains a gap in understanding how various programs should implement these concepts. To ensure that the knowledge students learn is meaningful, it is critical for approaches to HDCC education to be intentional, integrative, and comprehensive. Without this approach, students may lose key skills and be unable to deliver culturally responsive, patient-centered care upon graduation. In this themed issue, five papers will introduce areas for HDCC inclusion and explore how these topics are currently being covered in pharmacy education. Recommendations on best practices are provided.