Identifying Services Provided in Community Pharmacy Practice Settings

Background: To better address their patients' needs, community pharmacists are expanding from their traditional role of dispensing to managing medications and providing other care. Objective: This study characterized services reported by pharmacists practicing in community pharmacy settings in the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS). Methods: The 2019 NPWS was conducted via an online survey. E-mails containing survey links were sent to a systematic random sample of 96,110 U.S. pharmacists. The survey allowed tailoring of questions related to specific practice settings and for respondents in community pharmacies included reporting on delivery of twelve services. Other descriptive characteristic questions included community pharmacy type, staffing, monitoring activities, self-reported workload, and respondent demographics. An index was created by summing the number of yes responses for the service questions. This index served as the dependent variable in an ordinary least squares regression examining the association of work setting characteristics with the index. Results: Usable responses were received from 2,150 community pharmacists. The top four services were: administer vaccines (91.1%), patient medication assistance program (83.7%), naloxone dispensing (72.8%) and medication synchronization (67.2%). The regression model was significant, with supermarket pharmacies having a higher service index than large chains. Elevated service index scores were associated with more technicians on duty, CPESN participation, direct communication with primary care providers, practicing under a CPA and monitoring activities. Conclusions: Pharmacy operational characteristics were important influences on the delivery of services in community pharmacies. These findings can help inform the continuing transformation of community pharmacy practice.

Ambulatory care pharmacy practice: Findings from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the demographics, training, clinical specialties, and practice activities of ambulatory care pharmacists using data from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS).

SUMMARY

The 2019 NPWS was conducted using a 3-contact electronic survey sent to a random sample of 94,803 pharmacists using the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation e-Profile system. The 2019 NPWS had a response rate of 67.3% (5,705/8,466), based on the number of prospective respondents who clicked the survey link. A subset of pharmacists' responses (n = 4,557) was used for this analysis, which included those who selected an employment status of "practicing as a pharmacist." Of the 4,557 actively practicing pharmacists responding, 338 (8.0%) reported working in the ambulatory care setting. Ambulatory care pharmacists were predominately White (71.6%), women (67.5%), and/or between the ages of 31 and 40 years (36.9%). A total of 41.3% had completed PGY1 residency training, 14% had completed PGY2 residency training, and 29.3% had completed one or more board certifications. Their most common clinical specialty areas were anticoagulation (21.7%), endocrinology (19.7%), hematology/oncology (16.2%), and primary care (16.2%). A total of 49.6% reported using a collaborative practice agreement.

CONCLUSION

Ambulatory care pharmacists reported more training and certifications than the overall sample of pharmacists. These pharmacists practiced in a variety of clinical specialty areas and engaged in a range of in-person and telecommunication medication management activities. This study provides a baseline assessment of the ambulatory care pharmacist workforce that can be used to assess changes over time.

Snapshot of unemployed pharmacists from the 2019 National Pharmacy Workforce Survey

BACKGROUND

Prior national surveys have quantified unemployment in the pharmacy workforce, and recent surveys have occurred in a changing environment, with increased numbers of pharmacists in the labor market.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to investigate the rate of unemployment and situations of unemployed pharmacists.

METHODS

Data from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey were analyzed, focusing on an initial question about employment status and follow-up questions for unemployed respondents about whether they were seeking a job, the reason they were unemployed, and how long they had been unemployed.

RESULTS

Overall, 4.4% of the respondents were unemployed, with higher rates occurring for female pharmacists, older pharmacist cohorts, and respondents of color, with the highest rate occurring (9.3%) for Black pharmacists. Most (74.4%) of the unemployed pharmacists were seeking a job in pharmacy, but 16.6% were not seeking any job. Nearly two-thirds of the unemployed pharmacist respondents had left the workforce involuntarily, with men at higher rates than women. The youngest cohort of unemployed pharmacists was the least likely to be forced to leave and more likely to leave for workplace-related or personal reasons. Black pharmacists had the overall highest rate of leaving the workforce involuntarily. On average, the unemployed pharmacists had been out of work nearly 2 years (19.2 months), and the periods out of work ranged widely. Those seeking a job in pharmacy predominantly (75.7%) had been unemployed for 1 year or less. More than half of the pharmacists involuntarily unemployed had been unemployed for 6 months or less.

CONCLUSION

An increased rate of unemployment and a higher proportion of those unemployed seeking work occurred in this most recent national survey of the pharmacist workforce. Differences in the extent of unemployment and whether leaving the workforce was voluntary or involuntary occurred in pharmacists of color and in some age cohorts.

An intersectional review of discrimination and harassment experiences in pharmacy: Findings from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey

BACKGROUND

Most pharmacists in the United States are women, and the profession is becoming more racially diverse. The recent increase in political and social movements in the United States has heightened our awareness of the importance of better understanding the experiences of underrepresented individuals and groups. Little is known about discrimination and harassment in the profession of pharmacy in the United States.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence that discrimination and harassment exist in the pharmacy profession and explore differences in discrimination and harassment using the intersectionality of race and sex.

METHODS

The 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey (NPWS) utilized an electronic survey that was distributed using a 3-contact Dillman approach by email to a randomized sample of 96,110 licensed pharmacists from all 50 U.S. states using the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation e-profile system. The 2019 NPWS included a new battery of questions to assess the prevalence of discrimination and harassment in pharmacy.

RESULTS

The most common bases of discrimination experienced were based on age (31.2%), sex (29%), and race or ethnicity (16.6%). The most common type of harassment experienced was "hearing demeaning comments related to race or ethnicity" at 15.6%. The intersectionality analysis revealed different experiences among sex or race combinations. Black and Asian male pharmacists had the highest rate of "hearing demeaning comments about race or ethnicity." Nonwhite pharmacists were more likely to experience harassment from customers or patients compared with their white colleagues. Black female pharmacists had the highest rate of being "very unsatisfied" with the results of reporting discrimination and harassment to their employer.

CONCLUSION

Discrimination, including harassment and sexual harassment, is illegal, immoral, and unjust. As the profession of pharmacy continues to become more diverse, there must be a conscious, systemic, and sustained effort to create and maintain workplaces that are safe, equitable, and free of discrimination.

Clinician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic before vaccine administration

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted pharmacy practice. Little research has been done to assess how COVID-19 has affected pharmacists’ employment, workload, and feelings of burnout.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to characterize the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacists’ employment status, workload, and feelings of burnout, as well as to examine emotional health concerns related to COVID-19.

Methods

Wisconsin pharmacists were surveyed using an online instrument between August 25, 2020, and September 22, 2020. The data analysis, performed in December 2020, examined employment status, 3 common burnout risk factors (workload, rewards, and social depersonalization), and emotional health concerns related to COVID-19.

Results

Of the 1300 pharmacists, 439 completed the survey (33.8%). The study analysis included pharmacists in community (n = 127) and hospital or health system (n = 107) settings. With regard to employment changes and workload, hospital pharmacists (36%) were more likely to have their hours reduced than community pharmacists (13%) (P < 0.01), and, conversely, community pharmacists (19%) were more likely to have their hours increased than hospital pharmacists (8%) (P = 0.01). For the burnout domain of workload, 45% of the pharmacists reported increased feelings of physical exhaustion at work, and 53% reported increased feelings of emotional exhaustion at work, with no difference between settings. Regarding the burnout domain of rewards, 6% of the hospital pharmacists and 1% of the community pharmacists experienced a reduction in hourly wages or salaries as a result of COVID-19. For the burnout domain of depersonalization, 25% of the pharmacists reported that their ability to connect with colleagues and patients decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional emotional health concerns reported by the pharmacists included 40% experiencing more anxiety and 25% experiencing more sadness or depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no difference between settings.

Conclusion

This study found that the burnout domains related to workload, rewards, and depersonalization were negatively affected by COVID-19. Pharmacy managers need to proactively combat burnout as well as be reactive when employees show signs of burnout to maintain their workforce and meet the COVID-19–associated challenges.

National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS): Description of 2019 Survey Methods and Assessment of Nonresponse Bias

National Pharmacist Workforce Studies (NPWS) have been conducted in the U.S. every five years since 2000. This article describes the online survey methods used for the latest NPWS conducted in 2019 and provides an assessment for nonresponse bias. Three waves of emails containing a link to the online survey were sent to a random sample of about 96,000 pharmacists licensed in the United States. The survey asked about pharmacist employment, work activities, work–life balance, practice characteristics, pharmacist demographics and training. A total of 5467 usable responses were received, for a usable response rate of 5.8%. To assess for nonresponse bias, respondent characteristics were compared to the population of U.S. pharmacists and a benchmark, while a wave analysis compared early and late respondents. The pharmacist sample–population comparison and the benchmark comparison showed that the NPWS respondents had a higher percentage of female pharmacists and a lower proportion of young pharmacists compared to the population of U.S. pharmacists and the benchmark sample. In some contrast, the wave analysis showed that the early respondents had a higher percentage of males and older pharmacists compared to the late respondents. Both the wave analysis and the benchmark comparison showed that the NPWS respondents (and early respondents) had a lower percent of pharmacists with a PharmD degree than did the late respondents and the benchmark group. These differences should be considered when interpreting the findings from the 2019 NPWS.

Informal learning processes in support of clinical service delivery in a service-oriented community pharmacy

The evolving health care system necessitates pharmacy organizations' adjustments by delivering new services and establishing inter-organizational relationships. One approach supporting pharmacy organizations in making changes may be informal learning by technicians, pharmacists, and pharmacy owners. Informal learning is characterized by a four-step cycle including intent to learn, action, feedback, and reflection. This framework helps explain individual and organizational factors that influence learning processes within an organization as well as the individual and organizational outcomes of those learning processes. A case study of an Iowa independent community pharmacy with years of experience in offering patient care services was made. Nine semi-structured interviews with pharmacy personnel revealed initial evidence in support of the informal learning model in practice. Future research could investigate more fully the informal learning model in delivery of patient care services in community pharmacies.