Cultural Competency Education for Health Care Providers: A Literature Review to Guide Canadian Pharmacy Residency Programs.

Background: The need for cultural competency education has been emphasized for health care professionals in Canada. According to the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board accreditation standards, pharmacy residents must be able to provide culturally competent care for their patients, further building upon the education received during their undergraduate pharmacy programs. Although these standards exist, guidance for their implementation in pharmacy residency programs is lacking.

Objectives: To review the available literature and develop recommendations for pharmacy residency coordinators and directors on cultural competency training for pharmacy residents.

Data sources: A literature search was conducted to explore the literature concerning cultural competency education for pharmacy residents. The search was expanded to encompass literature involving pharmacy students and medical residents for information that could be applied to pharmacy residents.

Data synthesis: The initial literature search did not yield any results for cultural competency education provided to pharmacy residents. The expanded search yielded information about methods used to educate pharmacy students and medical residents, including didactic lectures, online modules, experiential learning rotations, seminars, workshops, patient simulations and case discussions, and guest lectures by experts in the field or by patients.

Conclusions: It is recommended that interactive education methods be used to train pharmacy residents in cultural competency, to match the experiential learning structure of residency training programs. Methods that could be implemented include offering online modules or readings, arranging for guest speakers, contacting local experts and community members for guidance on creation of a suitable curriculum, and providing immersive rotations focused on diverse populations.