Essentials of Cultural Competence in Pharmacy Practice: Chapter 3 Notes

Chapter Author: Dr. Duane A. Halbur

Cultural Guidelines

Learning Objectives1. Understand various definitions of culture

related to health care.2. Define stereotyping as unique from

making generalizations.3. Articulate how within-group differences

impact the work of a pharmacist.

Do you see what I see?

How many legs does the elephant have?

Group DifferencesAmple research indicates that within-group

differences are more significant than between-group differences.

Thus, the information contained in upcoming chapters should be viewed as generalizations while keeping the individual patient at the forefront.

Within-Group DifferencesIt is important to look at how individuals

differ within a cultural group even though they may share some common traditions and characteristics.

This is especially true when providing pharmaceutical care where meeting the needs of individual patients is a major goal.

Cultural CompetenceOne component of cultural competence is

being “able to recognize differences, identify similar patterns of responses, avoid stereotyping by acknowledging variations, and balance his or her own caring actions by recognizing differences and avoiding stereotyping.”

StereotypesUnfortunately, it is easy to stereotype

people on the basis of their race, ethnicity, or culture.

Many stereotypes are prejudices. Stereotyping ultimately involves

understanding or defining a group of people in such a way that the observer does not go beyond a narrow description that has been indiscriminately applied to all people in a given group.

GeneralizationsGeneralizations can help one to understand a

cultural group. They are a way to temporarily categorize information for pragmatic purposes.

Generalizations are useful starting points for data gathering and assessment.

To stereotype is to place all people who have certain characteristics in a category without further consideration.

Generalization, on the other hand, is a necessary starting point for classifying information about people.

Key Domains of CultureCulture, as defined by Purnell & Paulanka,

is “…the totality of socially transmitted behavioral patterns, arts, beliefs, values, customs, life-ways, and all other products of human work and thought characteristics of a population of people that guide their worldview and decision making.”

Components of Cultural PrimersEach of the cultural primer chapters

contain 8 areas:OverviewCommunication stylesFamily rolesWorkforce issuesBiocultural ecology and relevant diseasesHigh-risk behaviorsNutrition Child-rearing practices

Reflection Questions1. What cultures are you most interested to

learn about?2. What cultures do you believe you have the

least understanding about?3. How would you define culture?4. How important do you think cultural

factors are in pharmacy practice?