Bridging the Digital Divide: The Importance of Techquity in Pharmacy Education.

Technology is ubiquitous in both pharmacy education and practice, vital for optimizing the learning environment and delivering high-quality patient care. The growth of artificial intelligence, automation, and wearable technologies has prompted changes in pharmacy curricula, with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education now requiring education on digital health and associated technologies. Although technology offers significant benefits, it can also perpetuate inequities that disproportionately affect marginalized populations.

Infrastructure and resourcing of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives across US pharmacy schools.

Objectives: This study assesses the infrastructure and resources surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts in pharmacy education. The objectives were to investigate leadership roles and qualifications, resource commitment, challenges faced, and proudest accomplishments related to DEIA initiatives in colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Methods: A 27-question survey was distributed to CEO deans of US colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Working environment for historically marginalized faculty, administrators, and librarians in pharmacy education.

Introduction: Promoting diversity among faculty, administrators, and librarians in schools and colleges of pharmacy (SCOP) would be beneficial for the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds. Graduating such diverse pharmacists could assist in reducing healthcare disparities. Promoting diversity requires a climate that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds.

Implementation of a Student Pharmacist-Led Program to Enhance Health Access in an Arab-American Community Head: Health Program in an Arab-American Community.

Immigration of Arabs to the United States has increased in recent years due to political instability and need for improved access to healthcare. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity disproportionally affect Arab Americans. Student pharmacists are well positioned to increase health awareness by providing health screening services and education classes to the Arab immigrant community.

The Influence of Intersectionality on Professional Identity Formation among Underrepresented Pharmacy Students.

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore professional identity formation (PIF) among student pharmacists from underrepresented groups (URGs).

Methods: In this qualitative study, 15 student pharmacists from the University of Georgia and Midwestern University Colleges of Pharmacy were recruited for interviews to explore the influence of intersectionality of race, ethnicity, and gender on PIF. Interview data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory to identify themes and then further analyzed using Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality, namely structural, political, and representational intersectionality.

The Intersection of Professional Identity Formation, Bias, and Marginalized Identities.

Objectives: The objective of this integrative review is to call attention to the limited published literature on professional identity formation (PIF) in students who hold marginalized identities and to promote more inclusive PIF models.

Findings: A person's identity is complicated and PIF is a dynamic and continuous lifelong process. A foundational component to PIF is for students to integrate their developing professional identity with their existing selves.

Taking Action Towards Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Pharmacy Curriculum and Continuing Professional Development.

Increased awareness of social injustices and inequities highlight the relevance and importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in health care. Former and recent graduates of pharmacy schools remain deficient in their knowledge of DEIA topics such as unconscious bias, which can directly influence health outcomes in an undesirable manner. Particular DEIA areas that are pertinent to pharmacy practice include: race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability status, religion, socioeconomic status, and political beliefs.

Oral anticoagulants and relative risk of acute kidney injury in patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Study Objective: Oral anticoagulants (direct oral anticoagulants [DOACs] or warfarin) prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but their use may be associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to compare AKI risk across individual oral anticoagulants in patients with AF.

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Preparing Pharmacy Educators as Expedition Guides to Support Professional Identity Formation in Pharmacy Education.

To provide an educator-friendly travel guide for supporting pharmacy students' lifelong journey to professional identity formation. In contrast to professionalism, which has emphasized externally visible behaviors, professional identity focuses on the internalization of the attitudes, standards, and behavioral norms of a profession, such that one "thinks, acts, and feels" like a member of that profession. Identity, whether personal or professional, is continuously developed in part during interactions with others and in response to internal and external feedback on those interactions.

Engaging in Authentic Allyship as Part of Our Professional Development.

Educational institutions increasingly recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to combat and dismantle structures that sustain inequities. However, successful DEI work hinges on individuals being authentic allies and incorporating allyship into their professional development. Allyship involves members of dominant groups recognizing their privilege and engaging in actions to create inclusivity and equitable spaces for all.

Student Stress Management and Wellness Programs among Colleges of Pharmacy.

Objective: To describe the programmatic stress-related interventions that colleges of pharmacy are providing for their students.

Methods: A paper-based questionnaire was distributed to 80 college teams who attended two consecutive offerings of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy institute focused on promoting student well-being. The five-part questionnaire consisted of: 1) tracking and assessment of perceived student stress levels, 2) the types and formats of stress-coping interventions that are offered, 3) the measured impacts of any stress-coping interventions, 4) the level of faculty/staff training and involvement in student stress remediation, and 5) institutional demographics.

Report of the 2019-2020 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee.

The 2019-2020 Student Affairs Standing Committee addressed charges related to professional identity formation (PIF) in order to set direction and propose action steps consistent with Priority #3.4 of the AACP Strategic Plan, which states "Academic-practice partnerships and pharmacist-involved practice models that lead to the progress of Interprofessional Practice (IPP) are evident and promoted at all colleges and schools of pharmacy." To this end, the committee was charged to 1) outline key elements of PIF, 2) explore the relationship between formal curricular learning activities and co- or extra-curricular activities in supporting PIF, 3) determine the degree to which there is evidence that strong PIF is embedded in student pharmacists' educational experience, and 4) define strategies and draft an action plan for AACP's role in advancing efforts of schools to establish strong PIF in pharmacy graduates.

Promoting cultural sensitivity with the ethical and professional use of social media during global pharmacy experiences.

Introduction: While the use of social media and blogging is an attractive and rapidly growing method to disseminate student reflections and information, the use of digital online methods of learning also require professional and ethical accountability. This commentary describes two approaches to using a checklist to promote the culturally sensitive, professional, and ethical use of social media platforms when students are expected to share their global pharmacy experiential experiences.

Commentary: Social media sites and online blogs have the potential to enhance student experiences and promote intercultural competence of participants due to their ease of use and familiarity.

Assessment of a multi-institution integration of cultural competency activities.

Introduction: To meet educational standards and provide effective patient care, student pharmacists must be well-prepared to interact with a diverse patient population. Thus, the objective was to assess the effectiveness of four different active learning strategies in enhancing the cultural competency (CC) of student pharmacists at multiple institutions.

Methods: Across two years, eight colleges/schools of pharmacy integrated two sets of CC activities with different student cohorts (first-third professional year) that were designed to address different aspects of CC.

An Elective Course to Train Student Pharmacists to Provide Culturally Sensitive Health Care.

To design and implement an elective course that prepares student pharmacists to provide culturally sensitive health care by developing their knowledge, self-confidence, and clinical and communication skills for working with patients from various cultural backgrounds during community health screenings. In this one-credit-hour elective course, second- and third-year pharmacy students were taught about chronic disease states affecting various minorities, approaches to improve their communication with patients from various cultural backgrounds, and proper use of cardiometabolic equipment during health screening events. After a health screening event at the end of the course, knowledge scores, self-confidence, clinical skills, and communication skills were compared between students who took the elective course and those in a control group.

Review of Cardiovascular Drugs in Pregnancy.

Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Increasing maternal mortality in the United States underscores the importance of proper cardiovascular management. Significant physiological changes during pregnancy affect the heart's ability to respond to pathological processes such as hypertension and heart failure.

Using Patient Case Video Vignettes to Improve Students' Understanding of Cross-cultural Communication.

To develop, implement, and assess whether simulated patient case videos improve students' understanding of and attitudes toward cross-cultural communication in health care. Third-year pharmacy students (N=159) in a health care communications course participated in a one-hour lecture and two-hour workshop on the topic of cross-cultural communication. Three simulated pharmacist-patient case vignettes highlighting cross-cultural communication barriers, the role of active listening, appropriate use of medical interpreters, and useful models to overcome communication barriers were viewed and discussed in groups of 20 students during the workshop.

Time Spent, Workload, and Student and Faculty Perceptions in a Blended Learning Environment.

Objective. To evaluate student perception and time spent on asynchronous online lectures in a blended learning environment (BLE) and to assess faculty workload and perception. Methods.

Women Versus Men: Is There Equal Benefit and Safety from Statins?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. CHD risk differs between genders, with coronary events lagging behind ten years for women in comparison to men. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering with statin therapy is a major target for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Vorapaxar for reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events in myocardial infarction and peripheral artery disease.

Purpose: The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, dosage and administration, cost, and place in therapy of vorapaxar in the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic events are reviewed.

Summary: Vorapaxar is a highly selective, reversible antagonist of protease-activated receptor-1 expressed on platelets. Vorapaxar competitively inhibits thrombin from activating the receptor, thereby decreasing platelet aggregation.

Impact of Food and Drug Administration hepatotoxicity warning on prescribing and monitoring of dronedarone in a tertiary teaching hospital.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hepatotoxicity warning on 14 January 2011 on the prescribing practices and hepatic monitoring of patients receiving dronedarone.

Methods: Patients who received dronedarone 1 year before and after the FDA warning were retrospectively evaluated for the appropriateness of dronedarone prescribing, hepatic injury evaluation and medication discontinuation rates in a tertiary medical centre.

Key Findings: Ninety-one patients (66.

Journal clubs during advanced pharmacy practice experiences to teach literature-evaluation skills.

Objective: To determine pharmacy students' attitudes and academic performance related to journal club during 2 advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

Design: Fourth-year pharmacy students were required to complete 3 journal club assignments during drug information and internal medicine APPEs.

Assessment: A majority (91.