Utilization of a “Diversity Index” to Assess Racial Diversity of US School of Pharmacy Graduates

Abstract

ObjectiveDiversity in the training environment for health professionals is associated with improved abilities for graduates to care for diverse populations. Thus, a goal for health professional training programs, including pharmacy schools, should be to pursue representation among graduates that mirrors that of their communities. MethodsWe evaluate racial and ethnic diversity among graduates of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs across the United States (US) over time. Using a “Diversity Index”, we quantify the relative racial and ethnic representation of each program’s graduates compared with that of college-age graduates nationally and within the geographic region of the respective pharmacy school. ResultsOver the past decade, the number of US PharmD graduates increased by 24%. During this time, the number of Black and Hispanic PharmD graduates significantly increased. Still, representation of minoritized populations among graduates continues to be significantly lower compared with US benchmark populations. Only 16% of PharmD programs had a Diversity Index that matched or exceeded their benchmark comparator Black or Hispanic populations. ConclusionThese findings highlight the significant opportunity that exists to increase the diversity of graduates of US PharmD programs to better reflect the diversity of the US population.