Jacinda C. Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, is addressing racial health disparities through her roles as a pharmacist, educator, and DEI advocate, according to a profile in Pharmacy Practice News. Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir is an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Loma Linda University and serves on the board of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
In these roles, Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir focuses on educating healthcare professionals and students about social determinants of health, racial biases, and strategies to achieve health equity. She has developed trainings on overcoming microaggressions and leads community outreach efforts to build trust with minority populations.
“We have to get to the point of cultural humility and understand that there are differences based on one’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability status,” said Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir. “And we have to be lifelong learners and put in the work to understand how those differences affect a person’s health outcomes.”
Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir’s own research examines disparities in areas like medication access and COVID-19 outcomes. She emphasizes the importance of increasing diversity in the pharmacy profession itself to better serve diverse patient populations. “Representation matters,” Dr. Abdul-Mutakabbir said. “It’s so important for patients to see someone who looks like them.”
See “Board Member Spotlight: Jacinda C. Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD” (February 1, 2024)
