What do We Mean by an Inclusive Pharmacology Education?

An inclusive education is one that meets the needs of all students, is welcoming to people from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds, and accessible for those who are neurodiverse or with disabilities. It means recognizing students come from many different backgrounds and have a range of experiences and motivations. This is critically important for students transitioning from school to university and for students moving from one country to another, especially where there are different cultural and pedagogical norms. Developing and delivering supportive courses that promote academic and professional aspects (e.g., citing and referencing, use of artificial intelligence, practical laboratory skills) can provide invaluable induction for students as they adapt to a new social and educational culture. It is important to involve all students in an inclusive approach so that all students benefit from the outset of their learner journey.

In this paper we will set out some principles for developing and delivering an inclusive pharmacology education. We can think about inclusion in Higher Education more broadly across the whole of the student experience including admissions, in teaching and learning, assessment, and in extracurricular and social spaces [1]. However, in this paper, we will examine some of the ways that inclusive education can be thought of in the context of pharmacology education and illustrate with some examples.