Content area
Background
The inclusion of ethnic-racial issues in Pharmacy Education, is grounded in educational policies that emphasize the principles of comprehensiveness and equity in healthcare, as well as the development of competencies related to social justice. However, this theme remains insufficiently integrated into the curricula of undergraduate programs in countries like Brazil, even in the face of governmental initiatives and the nation’s own diverse ethnic and racial composition.
To characterize the incorporation of ethno-racial themes in the undergraduate Pharmacy curricula of all Brazilian Federal Higher Education Institutions (IFES).
Methods
A descriptive study was conducted using undergraduate Pharmacy curricula. Data extraction was carried out independently by two researchers, with discrepancies discussed and resolved through consensus. Extracted information included ethno-racial themes (i.e., African Continental Ancestry Group, Indigenous Peoples, health inequities, racism), document characteristics, subject profiles, and covered content. Textual analyses were performed using Iramuteq software, employing Hierarchical Descending Classification (HDC).
Results
Among the analyzed curricula (n = 50), just over half (56%) included subjects addressing ethno-racial themes. Among these, the majority were classified as mandatory (64.9%), belonged to the Social and Behavioral Sciences field (56%), and were not specifically focused on ethno-racial issues (86.5%). HDC generated a dendrogram with five classes: classes 2 and 1 were more closely related to educational norms, while classes 5, 4, and 3 were associated with content addressing anthropological concepts, public policies involving Black and Indigenous populations, traditional knowledge, and a more biological approach to racial issues.
Overall, a minority of IFES pedagogical projects addressed ethno-racial issues, with the content predominantly providing superficial references to educational guidelines rather than emphasizing their historical and social significance.
Conclusion
The results suggest the need for institutional actions to support the implementation of educational policies aimed at promoting social justice and patient-centered care.
Details
Guidelines;
Ethnic Diversity;
Integrated Curriculum;
Competence;
Social Behavior;
Pharmaceutical Education;
Pharmacy;
Inferences;
Researchers;
Behavioral Sciences;
Indigenous Knowledge;
Racial Relations;
Elective Courses;
Data Interpretation;
Health Education;
Racial Differences;
Cultural Pluralism;
Racial Factors;
Educational Policy;
Data Processing;
Lexicology;
Computer Software;
Behavioral Science Research;
Higher Education