Perspective Chapter: Teaching Pharmacology through A Global Health Lens: A Resource for Educators

Abstract

In times of rapid digital transformation, it is crucial to remember that creating the future of medical education requires us to also look to the past. Understanding historical and structural inequities is key to ensuring that advances in medical education do not inadvertently reinforce existing disparities in healthcare. Pharmacological treatment remains an important pillar of medicine and plays a central role within the medical curriculum. As the historical development and contemporary application of pharmacology have been shaped by complex global influences, recognizing these influences is important. It allows students, educators and practitioners to better understand why certain knowlegde systems became dominant while others were margininalized. This chapter explores how shared histories and cross-cultural exchanges have contributed to modern pharmacological knowledge and examines areas where legacy structures continue to influence research, clinical trials, and prescribing practices. We outline historical contributions from multiple medical traditions, discuss how sociocultural constructs such as race have been used inappropriately in clinical contexts, and highlight implications for drug development and access across global populations. The chapter offers a framework for educators to incorporate these insights into pharmacology curricula, supporting students in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the discipline’s history, context, and relevance to equitable healthcare. By situating pharmacology within these broader narratives, the chapter encourages a more critical and inclusive approach to teaching and practice.