DEMAND for training modules to educate pharmacists about how they can better support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) patients, is growing, research from the University of Canberra reveals.
The study, published in Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, found there was a "confidence gap" between pharmacists who had fewer hours of education and experience interacting with LGBTI patients, and those who had more training.
The authors noted that pharmacists who disclosed their personal LGBTI status had higher levels of confidence in communicating with and providing care for patients from the LGBTI community.
The researchers found that eight of 10 pharmacists who were interviewed as part of the study reported that LGBTI healthcare was "very brushed over" during the university training, with very little discussion of the health needs of the population beyond lectures relating to antiretrovirals.
"Most of what I've learned has been kind of reading on my own time from other sources," one pharmacist said.
The study's participants noted that the most common LGBTI-related health services provided through their pharmacies were dispensing and managing antiretroviral medicines and gender affirming hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
"Confidence in providing counselling for patients undergoing HRT was lower than in providing care for HIV and sexually transmitted infections or mental illness," the author said.
"The lack of guidance in professional resources for gender-affirming hormone therapy was identified as a barrier to effective counselling.
"Pharmacist participants described wanting future training modules to cover gender-affirming hormone therapy, communication skills, and sexual health for LGBTI people, and to be applicable to all roles throughout the community pharmacy."
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