Prioritizing ethical patient care responsibilities: A call to restructure student training practices in federally qualified health centers

Abstract

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are federally funded clinics that often serve medically underserved groups. Many Colleges of Pharmacy have faculty and non-faculty pharmacist preceptors who provide clinical services such as drug therapy management to FQHCs. It is critical that Colleges of Pharmacy and pharmacist preceptors reinforce and uphold the standard of providing high quality and evidenced based care when students rotate at these sites. Learners may have implicit biases and variable levels of emotional intelligence prior to a clinical rotation at an FQHC, which can affect the quality-of-care patients receive. Colleges of Pharmacy who send learners onto rotations at FQHCs should collaborate with FQHC sites to ensure learner readiness in clinical and emotional levels and mediate for any concerns that may arise.