Abstract:

In Canada, pharmacists are often the first point of contact for patients seeking health care (University of Waterloo, 2023). Unfortunately, the health care professions, including pharmacy, are not as diverse as the populations they serve which can have detrimental outcomes for patients (Gomez & Bernet, 2019; Jackson & Gracia, 2014). To encourage diversity within the pharmacy profession, and to build capacity for providing equitable, culturally competent care to communities, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) must be a focus of the PharmD recruitment process. The PharmPath project is a multi-pronged program, prioritizing students from underrepresented communities, aimed at informing and enticing prospective students to consider a career in pharmacy. PharmPath uses testimonial videos from a diverse group of pharmacy professionals and students, along with virtual pharmacy simulations, and an on-site experiential day at the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy to show students the various roles available within the pharmacy profession and to highlight paths to entry to a PharmD program. Here we will expand on components of the PharmPath program and show findings from the 2025 experiential day held in March, 2025. We will also discuss the development of the virtual pharmacy simulations and the work of the collaborative team to make the resources available for those wishing to use or modify them.

Keywords:

Pharmacy, health science, diversity equity and inclusion, underrepresented students, healthcare professions education.