As healthcare rapidly evolves, one principle remains the same: patient care is most effective when it’s personalized, empathetic, and inclusive. This is particularly evident in pharmacy, where cultural nuances can significantly impact how patients engage with pharmacists, medication regimens, and their overall health. As the nation grows increasingly diverse, the importance of cultural competence in pharmacy has become not just a best practice, but a necessity.
Within the United States, there is a wide range of cultural backgrounds. For example, 58% of the population
identifies as non-Hispanic white, 20% as Hispanic, 13% as Black, 6% as Asian or Pacific Islander, and 3% as other. By 2050, it’s estimated that 50% of the U.S. population will consist of minorities.
Diversity is also reflected in language, as well. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people in the U.S. who speak a language other than English at home has risen from 23.1 million to 67.8 million. These demographics must shape how healthcare is delivered.
These factors directly influence health literacy, access to care, and treatment preferences. In pharmacy, where clarity, trust, and adherence are paramount, failing to account for a patient’s cultural context can result in miscommunication, reduced engagement, and poor health outcomes. That is why cultural competence in pharmacy is a necessity.
What is cultural competence in pharmacy?
Cultural competency is defined as, “the ability to understand, communicate, and effectively interact with people across cultures, also known as Cultural Intelligence, Cultural Fluency, or Cultural Quotient.” In healthcare, cultural competency “encapsulates an awareness that your patient is multidimensional—that they come with different identities, including their gender, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, marital status, education level, sexual orientation, and more.”
Culturally competent care in pharmacy builds trust, enhances communication, and ultimately improves medication adherence and patient outcomes.
Core elements of cultural competence in pharmacy
Providing culturally competent care requires more than just an acknowledgement of diversity, it demands a set of foundational skills and practices that support pharmacists in delivering quality care to patients from all backgrounds. By understanding and applying the core elements of cultural competency, pharmacists can create stronger patient relationships, address health disparities, and deliver more personalized, equitable care.
Cultural competency begins with self-awareness. Pharmacists must first acknowledge their own potential biases before they can effectively understand others. Key elements include:
- Awareness of cultural differences: Recognizing how race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, and socioeconomic status shape a patient’s view of health.
- Respectful communication: Speaking in a way that honors a patient’s values, even if they differ from our own.
- Avoiding assumptions or stereotypes: Treating each patient as an individual rather than generalizing based on cultural background.
Additionally, cultural competency goes far beyond language translation. It’s about understanding beliefs around health and healing, recognizing how social determinants influence care, and adapting your approach accordingly. For example, a patient may decline medication due to religious fasting or herbal remedy preferences, not due to noncompliance. Empathy and understanding are crucial when navigating these scenarios.
Why cultural competency matters for medication management
Consider this example: a Spanish-speaking patient who receives instructions in English with no translation or cultural context. Misunderstandings can occur, leading to medication errors, disengagement, or even frustration from both the patient and the provider. Conversely, when pharmacists tailor their communication, using interpreter services or language-matched consults, the result is often improved comprehension and a stronger patient-provider relationship.
Lack of cultural understanding can have serious consequences. Continuing with the example of language barriers, some studies have shown that limited English proficiency (LEP), is associated with “lower use of preventive healthcare, poorer health behaviors linked to chronic disease, and a longer length of hospital stay for diabetes diagnoses.”
These challenges highlight why cultural competency is not simply a "nice to have," but rather a critical component of quality care. Without it, gaps in communication and understanding can lead to serious health risks, particularly for patients with language barriers or differing cultural expectations around healthcare.
When pharmacists are culturally competent, there are several positive benefits that patients may experience including increased patient safety, reduced inefficiencies, reduced care disparities, and decreased costs. When patients feel seen, respected, and understood, they’re more likely to follow through with therapy and less likely to experience adverse events.
Pharmacists and the health plan’s role in delivering culturally competent care
Pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals, often interacting with patients more frequently than physicians. As a result, they’re placed in a unique position to lead the charge in culturally competent care.
Consider these examples of ways pharmacists can provide culturally appropriate care:
- A pharmacist adjusting medication counseling for a Muslim patient during Ramadan.
- A provider helping a patient with low health literacy understand complex instructions using visual aids or simplified language.
- Navigating gender-affirming care for transgender patients with compassion and sensitivity.
Aspen RxHealth provides pharmacists and healthcare providers with proven strategies and technology solutions that improve medication adherence, all while being culturally competent. For example, our BeWell and Alliance healthcare SaaS solutions are designed to improve medication therapy management (MTM) delivery for pharmacists and in-house teams. With these solutions, patients are matched with pharmacists who are proficient in over 28-plus languages and experts across 50-plus clinical specialties. This allows patients to receive personalized, culturally competent care.
Our consultation scripts are designed with inclusivity in mind, guiding pharmacists to ask open-ended questions, practice active listening, and approach every interaction with cultural humility.
Benefits for health plans
For health plans, investing in culturally competent care can unlock measurable improvements across key performance metrics, particularly when partnered with technology-driven solutions like Aspen RxHealth. Here's how:
- Increased medication adherence and patient engagement.
- Reduced health disparities and avoidable costs.
- Enhanced STAR Ratings and member satisfaction.
- Scalable, flexible support with our pharmacist community or your own in-house team.
- Real-time insights and documentation through the BeWell platform.
Cultural fluency isn’t just good care, it’s better performance and stronger relationships.
Breaking down cultural barriers in medication management
Despite its benefits, achieving cultural competency is not without challenges. Systemic and institutional barriers such as lack of training, time constraints, and old-fashioned hiring practices can hinder progress.
Health organizations can:
- Invest in training programs that strengthen pharmacists and care teams to build cultural awareness and communication skills.
- Leverage technology to facilitate real-time language support or flag culturally relevant considerations.
- Implement feedback to continuously improve based on patient insights.
- Recruit and retain diverse talent that reflects the communities being served.
At Aspen RxHealth, we believe that technology, training, and human connection should intersect to overcome these barriers and build a more inclusive healthcare experience.
Committing to cultural competency
Cultural competency is a journey, not a checkbox. Every interaction counts. It’s cultivated through curiosity, compassion, and continuous learning. Every patient interaction is a chance to build trust, honor diversity, and improve outcomes.
Pharmacists and health organizations must commit to staying informed, whether through continuing education, peer learning, or self-reflection, while health plans should invest in systems that value inclusivity and equity.
The good news is that today’s pharmacy solutions help address these issues and make health equity a reality.
Making culturally competent care a reality
Cultural competency in pharmacy is not an abstract ideal. It is a practical, impactful approach that improves lives. When pharmacists and healthcare teams honor each patient’s unique background, they don’t just dispense medications; they deliver dignity, empathy, and empowerment.
At Aspen RxHealth, we’re proud to help make this vision a reality. Our pharmacy solutions are designed to connect patients with pharmacists who understand them: linguistically, culturally, and clinically.
If you're ready to enhance your approach to care, schedule a demo to see how our culturally intelligent pharmacists and technology platforms drive STAR performance, build trust, and transform medication adherence outcomes.
