American journal of pharmaceutical education
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An important topic in conversation on the education of pharmacy students has evolved around methods of pedagogy and assessment, and attention to diversity and inclusion. Well-intentioned educators may introduce bias into their teachings and assessment tools by focusing on diseases with a higher rate of presentation in minorities, without engaging in conversations as to why these health disparities may exist. When considering the content and structure of a curriculum, it is also important to review its assessment tools, with attention to cultural humility in multiple-choice examinations, case-based presentations and even observed structured clinical examinations. ⋯ By writing test items that are culturally responsible, unconscious bias can be reduced and test items can better measure the knowledge that educators intend to assess. As pharmacy educators perform programmatic reviews, attention should be directed towards unconscious bias not only in the curricula but also in its evaluation and assessment tools.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYEXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020-2021 AACP Research and Graduate Affairs Committee (RGAC) continued the work begun by the 2019-2020 RGAC to increase awareness of and capacity for implementation research to advance practice transformation in academic pharmacy. AACP President Anne Lin charged the RGAC with developing resources and programs for training faculty and graduate students in implementation science. The committee was further charged with developing a mechanism to pair pharmacy faculty and implementation experts on practice advancement projects. ⋯ AACP support for these collaborations should begin prior to any such matching event, for example by helping pharmacy faculty articulate the scope and value of their proposed practice advancement projects, and extend beyond the initial match to include assisting nascent collaborations establish connections and secure institutional and external backing. The RGAC made specific recommendations to AACP about how the framework and proposed programs could be used to further develop pharmacy faculty and graduate students as researchers while advancing the goal of sustainable transformation of pharmacy practice. A key recommendation is that AACP cultivate an inclusive community of interest in implementation science in pharmacy that will promote adoption of the framework, act as facilitators and coaches for training programs and assist in planning and supporting collaborative research projects.