Pharmacy student comfort in communicating with persons with disabilities

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between pharmacy students’ self-reported discomfort during interactions with persons with disabilities and the amount of overall and education-specific contact students have had with persons with disabilities.MethodsFirst-year and final-year PharmD students at five schools completed questionnaires containing three scales. The Interaction with Disabled Persons scale assessed discomfort. The Contact with Disabled Persons scale assessed amount and types of interactions with persons with physical disabilities. A new instrument collected information about professional program educational experiences with or about persons with disabilities.ResultsFinal-year students and those reporting higher levels of contact with persons with disabilities reported lower levels of discomfort. The number of reported educational experiences with persons with disabilities was small and research failed to identify specific educational practices that were associated with students’ comfort levels.ConclusionsFurther work is needed to determine the types and quantity of educational experiences that best prepare pharmacy students to relate comfortably and effectively to persons with disabilities.