Formalized Training Cascades for Pharmacy Teams: Becoming an LGBTQ+ Ally to Improve HPV Immunization

Health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ individuals include social stigma and discrimination that are associated with increased rates of mental health disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Better understanding the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people throughout their lives has been prioritized in research of late; however, a paucity of HCPs who are culturally competent in LGBTQ+ healthcare threatens to undermine improvement efforts.

Because pharmacists and pharmacy technicians provide accessible counseling and patient education, they are well positioned to be effective allies for LGBTQ+ individuals and bridge chasms in care. This includes improving HPV vaccination practices amongst gay and bisexual men, who have an increased prevalence of high-risk strains of HPV and elevated incidence of HPV-associated anal cancer. To support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in becoming LGBTQ+ allies and mitigate risk of HPV associated cancers in high-risk populations, this training program, modeled from the CDC Training of Trainers, provides learners with the tools and resources they need.