Implementing and evaluating a diversity, equity, and inclusion resident recruitment strategy

PURPOSE

A recruitment strategy was designed to increase the racial diversity of applicants to the postgraduate year 1 pharmacy program at University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine (MM). This article describes MM's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) residency recruitment approach, from conceptualization through implementation, and includes an evaluation of its effectiveness.

SUMMARY

The report of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Task Force on Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, published in January 2021, provided a foundation for our recruitment approach. The approach consisted of establishing a residency DEI subcommittee, conducting outreach to under-represented students, and reducing bias in the process by amending the application screening rubric. The combination of these efforts resulted in a 5% increase in applicants from pharmacy schools with a high proportion of under-represented minority students.

CONCLUSION

A diverse residency program benefits patients, trainees, and the larger healthcare organization. In addition, incorporating DEI into resident recruitment is required by the new ASHP Accreditation Standard for postgraduate pharmacy residency programs effective July 1, 2023. Evaluation of our recruitment efforts demonstrated targeted recruitment as an effective strategy to increase the diversity of a residency program's applicants. There may be additional barriers not addressed by our interventions to be further explored.

Review of Dual Biologics in Specialty Pharmacy Practice

OBJECTIVE

To describe and review the published evidence on use of multiple biologics within specialty pharmacy practice.

DATA SOURCES

A search of PubMed and Embase was conducted from October 2021 through September 2022. Keywords included biologics for immune-mediated conditions along with the terms "dual," "add-on," and "combination."

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

All human studies in the English language were considered. Published abstracts, case reports, case series, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were included.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Although evidence is limited, there are published meta-analyses of combined biologic use within gastroenterology and rheumatology. There are also numerous case reports within dermatology. Clinical trials of dual biologics for severe rheumatologic conditions and inflammatory bowel disease are in progress. Existing evidence for use in pulmonology and allergy suggest dual biologic therapy can be safe and effective, but data are limited. Literature describing use of monoclonal antibodies for other overlapping conditions is lacking.

RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

This article reviews the evidence describing combination biologic use and outlines remaining knowledge gaps. It also describes the essential role that specialty pharmacists play in managing therapeutic mAbs.

CONCLUSIONS

High-quality evidence describing combination biologic use is limited and long-term safety data are lacking. Pharmacists should utilize their specialized training to assess appropriateness of therapy, provide patient counseling and monitor for safety and efficacy.