Pharmacists with disabilities: RPS survey

This survey ran in 2019:

Out of 839 respondents to a Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) survey, 56% thought more should be done to support pharmacists with disabilities.

The survey, which ran from 28 August 2019 to 11 September 2019, was designed to help inform the RPS’s new inclusion and diversity programme, which launched in August 2019.

Read more about the survey here: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/pharmacists-with-disabilities-should-be-better-supported-rps-survey-finds

Journal article: Academic accommodation strategies for pharmacy students with learning disabilities

Journal article: Academic accommodation strategies for pharmacy students with learning disabilities: What else can be done?

Abstract

Introduction: Colleges and schools of pharmacy in the US are faced with the challenge of providing appropriate academic accommodations for students with learning disabilities (SLD) including those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia. Although there are no population statistics about SLD in pharmacy schools, current data show that their number at higher education institutions across the US has increased. This commentary discusses how the rigorous pharmacy school curriculum affects SLD and proposes creative and innovative measures to overcome these obstacles.

Perspective: The shift in the public perception about SLD from a state of stigma to a manageable condition in recent years has greatly contributed to increase the number of SLD enrolled in higher education institutions. Although most colleges and universities can now offer some type of academic accommodation to SLD compared to few years ago, other academic accommodation recommendations to SLD remain challenging to implement, especially for SLD enrolled in pharmacy programs.

Implications: SLD enrolled in pharmacy programs could benefit from a multifaceted approach involving the school's office of disability services, medical practitioners, behavioral and language specialists, as well as some sort of curricular changes in order to be academically successful and become practice ready upon graduation.

Keywords: Academic accommodation; Dyscalculia; Dysgraphia; Dyslexia; Learning disabilities.

Afeli SA. Academic accommodation strategies for pharmacy students with learning disabilities: What else can be done? Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2019 Aug;11(8):751-756. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2019.04.001. Epub 2019 Apr 26. PMID: 31227188.

Pharmacy Workforce Issues in the United States and the United Kingdom

An article published in the March 25, 2015 issue off the Am J Pharm Educ. is titled, "Examining Pharmacy Workforce Issues in the United States and the United Kingdom."

The authors note:

The number of colleges and schools of pharmacy has expanded by approximately 50% in both the United States and United Kingdom over the previous decade. In the United States, continued demand for the pharmacy workforce has been forecasted, but this need is based on outdated supply figures and assumptions for economic recovery. In the United Kingdom, workforce modeling has predicted a significant future oversupply of pharmacists, and action within the profession has attempted to address the situation through educational planning and regulation.

The most recent job outlook figures for pharmacists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at the US Department of Labor predict more than 41 000 new positions (a 14% increase) by 2022.

Weldon Williams, vs. Revco Discount Drug Centers, Inc., d.b.a. CVS Pharmacy Inc.

The case of Weldon Williams, vs. Revco Discount Drug Centers, Inc., d.b.a. CVS Pharmacy Inc. involves a pharmacist (Weldon Williams) suing his former employer CVS.

Williams filed this employment action alleging that CVS failed to accommodate his reasonable requests for assistance under the ADA, terminated him despite his FMLA request, placed unreasonable demands on him before allowing him to return to work, and treated younger pharmacists more favorably.

Although this case was file in January, 2014, the case was petitioned and it appears that the petition was denied in October, 2014.

Oregon pharmacist accuses Walmart of firing him for his disability

Earlier this year, a story came out about an Oregon pharmacist who was accusing Walmart of firing him for his disability. The disability: substance abuse disorder. The suit notes that Doran was diagnosed in 2007 with a disabling medical condition: "Addiction is recognized as a serious health condition by the medical profession (Substance Abuse Disorder), and is a recognized disability under federal and state laws."

David Shane Doran filed a federal lawsuit in Medford on Thursday that accuses Walmart of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

Read the story here.