Indigenous Cultural Safety, Humility, and Anti-Racism

Creating Safer, More Respectful Spaces in Pharmacy Practice

Purpose and Commitment

The Continuing Professional Development and Practice (CPPD) team is committed to supporting pharmacy professionals in creating safer, more respectful, and equitable spaces for Indigenous clients. This page serves as a central resource for education, reflection, and action on Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism in pharmacy practice.

We recognize the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, systemic racism, and health inequities experienced by Indigenous Peoples. Our goal is to foster culturally safe care environments where Indigenous clients feel respected, heard, and empowered.

Guiding Principles

  • Cultural Safety: Defined by the person receiving care, cultural safety requires healthcare providers to examine power imbalances, barriers built into healthcare systems, and their own biases. It moves beyond cultural awareness and sensitivity to actively address inequities.
  • Cultural Humility: A lifelong process of self-reflection and learning. Cultural humility involves recognizing one’s own limitations, being open to understanding others’ experiences, and building respectful partnerships.
  • Anti-Racism: The active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes. Anti-racism requires deliberate steps to remove obstacles to equitable care.

These principles guide our approach to continuing education and inform the development of programs and resources that support reconciliation and justice in pharmacy care.

Land Acknowledgement

UBC's Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The land it is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site. You are invited to take a moment to acknowledge the land from where you are joining. To learn more about land acknowledgements, and the territory you are situated on, you are invited to explore Whose Land.

Programs

These programs integrate Indigenous perspectives and case-based learning to support meaningful practice change.

A Case-Based Approach for Pharmacy Teams on Providing CARE for First Nations Clients
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): unaccredited | Hours: 2 hours

Cultivating Relationships and Creating Safer Spaces in Pharmacy for First Nations Clients
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): unaccredited | Hours: 2 hours

Indigenous Health Benefits
Independent Study Program
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): 1 CEU | CE Hours: 1 hour | BC-2026-005-ISP
Expiry Date: January 14, 2027

Plan W OTC Recommendations: 2025 Updates
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): unaccredited | Hours: 1 hour

Uprooting Pharmacy: Barriers and Facilitators to Culturally Safe Practice
Independent Study
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): 1 CEU | CE Hours: 1 hour | BC-2026-008-ISP
Expiry Date: February 17, 2027

Uprooting Pharmacy: Bringing Together Traditional and Western Medicine
Independent Study
Cost: Free | Continuing Education Units (CEU): 1 CEU | CE Hours: 1 hour | BC-2026-009-ISP
Expiry Date: March 2, 2027

Upcoming Events

CPPD hosts events that bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices to explore culturally safe care and collaborative models of practice. Webinar recordings will be available in the Canvas course following the live session.

Past Events

Uprooting Pharmacy: Bringing Together Traditional and Western Medicine
Webinar February 26, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 pm

This session explored how extractive science and biopiracy have shaped pharmacy practice. Presenters shared findings from a 3‑year action research project and discussed approaches to team‑based care that integrate Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and traditional medicines.

Uprooting Pharmacy: Barriers and Facilitators to Culturally Safe Practice
Webinar – February 12, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 pm

This session examined how Western and Indigenous worldviews shape pharmacy practice, drawing on findings from a 3‑year action research project. Presenters discussed the Two-Eyed Seeing approach and key barriers and facilitators to providing culturally safe care.

Recommended Resources

To support ongoing learning, we encourage pharmacy professionals to explore the following resources:


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