The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is leading a new working group with partners from across the profession to address the differential attainment and awarding gap experienced by Black pharmacy students and Foundation Trainees.
Partners in the group are BPSA, GPhC, NHS England, Pharmacy Schools Council and representatives from Schools of Pharmacy. Following the first meeting, we will be approaching student representative organisations to join the group, which will meet every six months.
Differential attainment is the unexplained variation in attainment between groups who share a protected characteristic, for example, ethnicity, gender and disability.
In pharmacy education, research has shown that Black students and Foundation Trainees face unique challenges that can lead to lower attainment compared to their white counterparts in the registration assessment and an awarding gap at an undergraduate level. Addressing the gap is crucial to achieving a fair and equitable educational and training experience for them.
RPS is producing a report for publication in November which will set out recommendations from the group and actions they will take forward to improve the differential attainment and awarding gap in a meaningful and sustainable way. They will focus on fostering a more inclusive and supportive learning environment to help bridge the attainment and awarding gap.
The recommendations will be based on the following themes:
- Inspiration, aspiration and role models
- Cultural competence training for tutors
- Debiasing processes and supporting the transition into the workplace
- Data collection
Amandeep Doll, Head of Engagement and Professional Belonging at RPS and Chair of the group said, "Tackling the differential attainment and awarding gap for Black pharmacy students and foundation trainees has been ignored for too long.
“Changes in curriculum design, teaching practices, assessment methods, and institutional support structures are vital. We’d also like to see mentorship programs and support systems tailored to the needs of Black pharmacy students and trainees, providing guidance and assistance to help them excel in their studies.
“Every aspiring pharmacist should have an equal opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. Achieving equity in pharmacy education not only enhances the opportunities for Black students but also contributes to a more diverse and representative workforce, which is crucial for delivering high-quality healthcare to all communities.”
This initiative is part of our commitment to providing leadership on equality, diversity, and inclusion within the profession.
The differential attainment gap has been a high priority agenda item for Inclusive Pharmacy Practice (IPP). IPP is a joint initiative with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and 13 other national partner organisations. The IPP advisory board focus was on diversity in pharmacy leadership and representation under which the differential attainment gap was discussed and considered. From this the working group has been established.
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