Pharmacists must possess the attitudes, knowledge, and skills required to deliver culturally intelligent, patient-centered care; however, formal training in this area remains limited. To effectively prepare future pharmacists, clear standards and structured curricula for cultural intelligence are needed within pharmacy education. The purpose of this study was to develop a cultural intelligence framework (CIF) tailored to pharmacy education and to examine its relevance to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) training. A comprehensive review of the literature examining existing approaches to cultural intelligence education informed the development of the CIF. The framework integrates established cultural intelligence models used in health professions education with Bloom’s Taxonomy. Five student focus groups were conducted to explore learners’ cultural experiences and to map these experiences to the CIF. All focus group sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, deidentified, and deductively coded using the CIF as an analytic guide. All four CIF domains—awareness, knowledge, practice, and desire—were represented across the five focus groups, although individual participants did not consistently demonstrate all domains in their narratives. Most students described experiences reflecting cultural awareness, knowledge, and motivation, while fewer participants reported engagement in cultural practice. Differences in responses were noted based on participants’ racial backgrounds and their stage within the pharmacy curriculum. This study provides an initial contribution to understanding how cultural intelligence is taught and experienced in pharmacy education. The proposed CIF offers an evidence-based framework that may support the intentional development of cultural intelligence and assist in preparing pharmacy students to become socially responsible and patient-centered health care professionals.
