Evidence of burnout in critical care pharmacists

Abstract

Purpose Studies of critical care physicians and nursing personnel indicate a potentially high rate of burnout. To date there is a paucity of data in critical care pharmacists assessing burnout in this group. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of risk of burnout in critical care pharmacists. Methods Critical care pharmacists were solicited via email to complete an anonymous, electronic questionnaire regarding burnout. Subject demographic and employment characteristics were collected along with the validated, 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory Health Services Survey in the study cohort. Burnout was assessed from 3 aspects, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. High degree of burnout was defined as a score >27 in emotional exhaustion, or score >10 in depersonalization, or score <33 in personal achievement. Risk factors of burnout were evaluated using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results Out of 3,140 critical care pharmacists, 193 (6.1%) completed surveys. The mean scores were 25.3, 7.5, and 36.7 for emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal achievement, respectively. Overall, 123 pharmacists (64%) reported at least one syndrome of burnout, and 28 pharmacists (14.5%) reported burnout in all 3 scales. No single risk factor was identified to be associated with the risk of burnout. Conclusion Risk of burnout is high in critical care pharmacists, at 64%, and is comparable to the risk in other critical care practitioner groups. This emphasizes the importance of continuing to evaluate risk factors for burnout and providing resources for burnout prevention to high-risk practitioners.

Combating pharmacist burnout: A model for critical care clinical pharmacy faculty

“…Similarly, a survey of 193 critical care pharmacists identified burnout in 64% of the responders . Consistent with prior data, emotional exhaustion was the most common dimension reported (44%) …”

“…One study found that more than two‐thirds of pharmacists who practiced in an intensive care unit (ICU) experienced burnout, which ranked among the top three groups of pharmacists suffering from burnout . Similarly, a survey of 193 critical care pharmacists identified burnout in 64% of the responders . Consistent with prior data, emotional exhaustion was the most common dimension reported (44%) …”

Evaluation of burnout among emergency medicine pharmacists

“…While there is no consensus definition of how to use the MBI dimension scores in determining if burnout is present, all three periods of our study showed a greater proportion of participants scoring consistent with burnout in three dimensions compared with other cross-sectional survey studies. 3,4,21 The overall representation of EM pharmacists in the Durham and Jones studies were low (approximately 10-13%), however, consistent with our findings, approximately two thirds of EM pharmacists met the definition for burnout. 3,4 Ball and colleagues assessed critical care pharmacists in 2018 and 64%…”

“…indicated burnout in at least one dimension. 21 In 2012, burnout was noted to be more common among physicians than other U.S. workers, with the EM specialty at highest risk compared with other medical specialties. 11 In 2015, burnout was reported to range from 35% to 51.5% in EM attending physicians.…”

Leveraging telecommuting pharmacists in the post–COVID-19 world

“…As in other health professions, burnout rates among pharmacists have become problematic, with 53%-70% of pharmacists exhibiting a high degree of burnout. [13][14][15][16] This rate is likely higher during health care emergencies, such as the current pandemic. In conjunction with other solutions, the use of telecommuting as a core component of flexible work scheduling may help mitigate this unsustainable and unacceptable trend.…”