In collaboration with the University of Houston Hispanic Studies Department, the
University of Houston College of Pharmacy oers a Pharmacy Certicate in Hispanic
Healthcare to provide Pharm.D. students with advanced skills and knowledge to
deliver culturally and linguistically competent pharmacy care services to Hispanic
and Spanish-speaking patient populations.
The 18-hour Pharmacy Certicate in Hispanic Healthcare program includes two
core courses (6 credit hours), followed by 12 credit hours of Advanced Pharmacy
Practice Experiences in healthcare settings serving predominantly Hispanic/Spanish-
speaking patient populations.
The two core courses provide the mastery of the Spanish language and culture
needed to interact and work with Hispanic communities, which includes some
specic health and medical experiential learning and practice through eldwork and/
or public service/outreach activities. For example, past program participants have
attended eld trips to neighborhood yerberias (herbal “folk medicine” shops) to gain
knowledge of common herbal remedies, which may aid in the identication and
prevention of food-drug/drug-drug interactions.
After completion of the classroom-based portion of the program, students
complete two 6-week APPE rotations (approximately 40 hours per week) at
ambulatory/outpatient clinics categorized as Federally Qualied Health Centers
(FQHCs) and/or community pharmacies in areas serving predominantly Hispanic/
Spanish-speaking patient populations.
The experiential component provides opportunities for real-world application of
student knowledge to enhance patients’ comprehension of, and adherence to, their
therapeutic regimens, reduce adverse drug reactions and interactions, and decrease
hospitalizations, lengths of stay, readmissions and overall healthcare expenditures.
PHARMACY CERTIFICATE IN HISPANIC HEALTHCARE
32
PERCENTAGE OF
U.S. HISPANIC
POPULATION WITH LIMITED OR
NO ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEP/
NEP*
52
PERCENTAGE OF
LEP PATIENT ADVERSE EVENTS
LIKELY RESULTING FROM
COMMUNICATION ERRORS**
Sources: *Pew Research Center, 2016; **C.
Divi, et al. Language prociency and adverse
events in US hospitals: a pilot study, Interna-
tional Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19:2,
1 April 2007 (Oxford University Press).
The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
