Identifying interest of pharmacy faculty for formal cultural competence training or credentialing

Background: Accreditation standards in the United States acknowledge the link between health disparities and cultural differences while going beyond recognising that health disparities exist with higher expectations. Pharmacy trainees must practice cultural competence; however, faculty are unprepared to teach this content. This project aims to assess pharmacy faculty's perceived need and interest in targeted and specialised training in cultural competence. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an electronic survey which was built with items based on study objectives. The survey collected information on demographics, cultural competence terminology, and perceptions of training and resulting credentialing. Results: The survey had 398 respondents. The mean response regarding interest in an advanced credential was 3.09 on a scale of one to five. The most common response was “probably yes”. A theoretical model emerged from the analysis of qualitative comments that describe respondents’ perceptions of cultural competence training. Conclusion: Intentional design when developing a cultural competence credential and/or training is necessary to ensure value. Pharmacy faculty have strong differing opinions regarding the need for a credential in this space. Additional reflection on the design and structure of any potential training is necessary before moving forward.