Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Organizational benefits of diversity in the workplace have been well documented. In health professions, however, diversity-related research traditionally has focused on the effect of diversity on health care disparities. Few tools exist describing the benefits of diversity from an organizational standpoint to guide pharmacy administrators and faculty members in nurturing and developing a culture of diversity. Given the scarcity of pharmacy specific data, experience from other academic areas and national/international diversity reports were incorporated into this manuscript to supplement the available pharmacy evidence base. This review summarizes the benefits of diversity from an academic organizational standpoint, discusses the issues administrators and faculty members must consider when developing programs, and provides guidance on best practices in fostering and managing diversity.
Introduction
Diversity is fundamental in academic institutional advancement, health care professional and scientist training, and the provision of safe and effective patient care. The pharmacy profession has acknowledged the importance of diversity in numerous ways. For example, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) published a statement in 2007 stressing the importance of diversity towards reducing racial/ethnic health care disparities. In addition, the 2006 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards and guidelines address the inclusion of diversity goals in pharmacy college/school values; consideration in recruiting faculty members, staff, and students; and as a significant factor influencing curriculum, teaching, and learning methodologies.
Despite national awareness of the importance of diversity, the demographic profile of many health-related professions, including pharmacy, continues to fall short of mirroring the population. Traditionally, health professional colleges/schools have focused on the benefit of diversity from a patient care standpoint. Although focusing on diversity related to health care disparities is necessary, eliminating health care disparities is not the sole reason to promote student, faculty, and staff diversity. Other benefits have been identified and can be leveraged to advance college/school goals and objectives. The objectives of this review are to: (1) describe the proven benefits of diversity, (2) discuss considerations in developing diversity programs, and (3) provide guidance on best practices to foster and manage diversity programs and initiatives.