Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy (COP) has always been committed to positively impacting health, healthcare outcomes, and health disparities, especially in Black and underrepresented communities. As one of the top producers of Black pharmacists in the nation, the COP has strived to serve the Black and underserved through research and education and by creating avenues for its students to do so. Because of its commitment to educating minority communities, the COP will now be a part of a new consortium with the PATIENTS Programs at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to improve the representation of people of color in clinical trials.

For a decade, The PATIENTS Program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has fostered an environment for patient-centered care and research by including patients in the research process. By employing patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), the program has committed to listening to patients about their own health and health outcomes and aligning research priorities based on patients’ values. With a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, the PATIENTS Program will establish a new consortium between Xavier’s COP, the West Baltimore Mount Lebanon Baptist Church and Coppin State University.

Participation with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy on the FDA OMHHE Racial and Ethnic Minority Acceleration Consortium for Health Equity has the potential to address long-standing disparities and inequities through training and mentoring for HBCU pharmacy students, fellows, and faculty and through community engagement in African American communities,” said Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, dean of Xaviers College of Pharmacy.

Through the consortium, Xavier and Coppin State University hope to guide pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions on how to diversify clinical trials and create a pipeline to diversify the researchers who conduct the trials. The consortium will give Xavier’s COP the opportunity to structure a program that would be the most beneficial for the university and the individuals it serves in the Greater New Orleans community. The COP will organize town hall meetings to foster conversation with community members on how to increase participation in clinical trials and assuage any fears or doubts, much like the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to increase knowledge and reduce vaccine hesitancy.

Community engagement has always been vital to the mission of Xavier’s College of Pharmacy. Through public health fairs, events and programs, the COP brings knowledge and practice to the people in the most need of it. This consortium will create a more diverse population of clinical trial participants that has the potential to significantly affect the outcomes of healthcare research and transform healthcare policies. With its participation in this consortium, the COP seeks to do what is set out in its mission: eliminate health disparities through patient-centered care, community service, and scholarly work.

“Impacting the health and health outcomes of the community is an important part of the work we do as pharmacists and pharmacy faculty here at Xavier University’s College of Pharmacy,” said Dr. Kennedy. “By encouraging those who are able to participate in and help diversify clinical trials through this consortium, we can start to see how health research and policies can change to benefit communities that have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented. That helps us fulfill the mission of the College of Pharmacy.”