APhA, NASPA release 2022 National State-based Pharmacy Workplace Survey report
The American Pharmacists Association and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations have released the final report of the 2022 National State-based Pharmacy Workplace Survey.
The stress and workplace conditions explored in the survey findings have a negative impact within the profession on the ability to recruit, train and retain pharmacy personnel.
Pharmacists and pharmacy personnel’s workplace issues and their relationship to personal well-being continue to be a critical, complex issue across all practice settings. These issues were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent decades, significant work has been done to identify and understand medication errors (including near misses) and characterize the root of their causes. Likewise, there is a need for critical examination of workplace factors to determine how, or if, workplace issues affect pharmacy personnel’s well-being and patient safety. In response, APhA and NASPA developed a national survey to address this critical gap. The confidential survey explores the practice environment, employee engagement and value, pharmacy personnel safety, staffing and contributors to stress.
The 6,973 respondents represent 17 different practice settings, including chain community pharmacies (48%), supermarket pharmacies (13%), independent and hospital pharmacies (10%) and hospital/institutional pharmacies (9%). Most respondents were either staff/clinical pharmacists (50%), management/supervisors (29%), certified pharmacy technicians (7%) or owners or student pharmacists (4%). Survey responses come from every region of the country.
[Read more: APhA, NASPA release pharmacy workplace and well-being report findings
The organizations noted that the findings validate the many anecdotal stories heard through national and state pharmacy association members and pharmacy-specific social media. The findings show that pharmacy workplaces were so stressful in 2021 that personnel were unable to fulfill both clinical and nonclinical duties, which contributed to employee burnout. While the majority of pharmacy workplaces have cultures of patient safety, pharmacy personnel are at a breaking point when adjustments to team training, roles and responsibilities are not made quickly enough to adapt to change and meet all of their responsibilities.
The findings suggest there are opportunities to address the identified issues in an expedient manner. These would include enhanced communication channels with pharmacy personnel and revised policies to support pharmacists and pharmacy personnel who encounter patients/customers perceived to be threatening or harassing, the groups said.
[Read more: Pharmacist shortages are affecting the industry]
“One specific finding is troublesome—pharmacy personnel harassment and bullying by patients/consumers. It needs to be addressed by employers immediately. Pharmacy personnel should not fear for their safety when providing patient care and serving their community’s health care needs,” said Joni Cover, NASPA vice president, strategic initiatives and acting CEO. “Organizations need to immediately review their policies and procedures dealing with these situations, articulate support of their team members and provide guidance to and training for pharmacy personnel and non-pharmacy management.”
The report findings showed that employers need support, too.
“Support of pharmacy team members and pharmacies is needed from employers, insurers, lawmakers and the public to ensure resource availability, address patient safety concerns, meet patient health care needs and expectations and reduce stress and increase satisfaction of pharmacy personnel both now and in the future,” said Scott Knoer, APhA executive vice president and CEO. “Many of the recommendations from the survey findings have been proposed for years but the urgency of the current situation should push them into reality. Concrete solutions and action are needed.”
[Read more: Survey: Unsafe pharmacy conditions put patient safety at risk, spark resignations among pharmacy technicians]
The survey was administered through an online platform designed for receiving deidentified data for analysis. To protect the respondents' anonymity, all responses are held at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, and APhA and NASPA were not provided access to individual responses and only received aggregate result data.
The study did not use a random sample of individuals but was promoted nationally by APhA and locally by state pharmacy associations. The total number of individuals contacted is unknown; therefore, a response rate cannot be calculated. The findings should be used to gain insight and not be used to make estimates or generalizations regarding the entire population of pharmacists and personnel.
Subsequent to this report, the development of manuscripts on the survey data, along with a reflexive thematic analysis on open-ended responses to learn more from the voice of the respondents, is underway to contribute to the peer-reviewed pharmacy literature and pharmacy team discussions.