Student pharmacists' perceptions of transgender health management.

INTRODUCTION: To measure the general perceptions and attitudes of pharmacy students toward transgender patients and health and evaluate students' level of support for receiving education in transgender healthcare. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey delivered online to approximately 60 s-year pharmacy students enrolled in a required pharmacotherapy course at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Students received a survey link, with five questions for completion prior to the "Gender Transition Therapeutics" lecture and a separate link with 11 questions for completion post-lecture. Responses were anonymous with no identifiers collected and multiple-choice, using Likert-scale questions aimed at gathering respondents' perceptions of managing transgender patients and support for receiving additional education in transgender healthcare. RESULTS: Survey results indicated that students' cultural competency and confidence in managing transgender patients increased after lecture, and that they support integrating transgender health into pharmacy education. Significant findings include: 67% of students lacked confidence in their ability to treat transgender patients prior to the lecture while only 20% of students reported this lack after the lecture. 51% of students reported being aware of barriers-to-care experienced by the transgender population compared to 92% of students after the lecture. After the lecture, 87% agree pharmacists need more education in transgender health, and 74% support integrating this education into pharmacy curricula. CONCLUSIONS: Students' confidence in managing transgender health increases after didactic education, and overall, students support integrating transgender health education into pharmacy school curricula.

Survey of community pharmacy residents' perceptions of transgender health management.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To measure the general perceptions and attitudes of community pharmacy residents toward transgender patients and health; 2) to identify gaps in didactic education regarding transgender health care among residents; and 3) to evaluate residents' level of support for pharmacists receiving education in transgender health care. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey delivered online. Community residency directors were e-mailed a cover letter and a 34-question online survey. The directors were asked to forward the survey to their residents for completion within 4 weeks. Responses were anonymous with no identifiers collected on the survey. Survey responses used a combination of open-response, multiple-choice, and Likert-scale questions aimed at gathering respondents' demographic information, perceptions of managing transgender patients and the need for receiving additional education in transgender health care. RESULTS: Overall, the results of the survey indicated that community pharmacy residents support integrating transgender health management into pharmacy education and recognize that the overwhelming barriers to care for these patients include discrimination and lack of provider knowledge. Significant findings include: 82.7% of community residents think that community pharmacists play an important role in providing care for transgender patients; 98.2% think that they have a responsibility to treat transgender patients; and 71.4% were not educated about transgender patient issues in pharmacy school. Only 36.2% of community residents felt confident in their ability to treat transgender patients. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacy residents list discrimination and lack of provider knowledge as the major barriers to care for transgender patients. Residents do not feel confident in their ability to treat and manage transgender patients. The majority of residents were not educated about transgender patient issues while in pharmacy school and think that community pharmacists need more education in this area. Residents support integrating transgender health education into continuing education programs and pharmacy school curricula.