Gender equity perceptions among pharmacy practice faculty in pharmacy academia

Introduction: Gender equity is desired in academia, including pharmacy education. Several studies in the past have demonstrated a lack of gender equity in academia, including a recent study among social and administrative sciences faculty in pharmacy schools. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether perceptions of gender inequity exist among pharmacy practice faculty. Methods: Using a validated survey instrument, gender equity perceptions related to teaching, research, service, recruitment, mentoring, and advancement were measured on a three-point Likert-type scale. Respondents were also asked if they had experienced gender inequity and, if so, at what academic rank and which type of institution. A link to the survey was sent to 2567 pharmacy practice faculty who were members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and/or the American Pharmacists Association. Descriptive analysis, followed by chi-square proportion comparisons, was conducted at 0.05 alpha. Results: Of the 155 eligible pharmacy faculty who responded to the survey, the majority were non-Hispanic white women with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Gender inequity was reported by 64.7% of respondents and was associated with being women and with fewer years since their terminal degree. With regard to the three pillars of academia, women were more likely to perceive that men had more research resource allocations, less teaching and student success workload, more favorable teaching evaluation scores, and more favorable options for clinical and college service types. Similar perceptions were reported for recruitment, leadership opportunities, promotion and tenure, opportunities to be mentored, and respect from peers. Conclusion: Experiences of gender inequity as well as perceptions of gender inequity favoring men were found, particularly among women. This calls for the broader pharmacy practice community, as well as pharmacy academia leadership, to make intentional efforts to promote gender equity.