General wellbeing and work impacts among community pharmacists during crisis management

Abstract

Background. Community pharmacists are highly accessible for advice, as most pharmacies are open long hours and no appointment is needed. Community pharmacists, as essential community health workers, play a critical role in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine the general wellbeing and work impacts of pharmacists and the factors important for adaptability and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. This study adopted a cross-sectional design. Community pharmacists from various professional networks in Australia were invited through emails and social media posts to complete an anonymous online survey during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia. Results. Sixty-five community pharmacists completed the online survey. The respondents reported fair levels of general wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a mean self-related health score of 33.57 (s.d. = 13.19) out of a maximal of 96, despite relatively high levels of job stress and emotional labour. Lower levels of general wellbeing were correlated with higher levels of job stress (r = 0.645, P < 0.01) and emotional labour (r = 0.513, P < 0.01), and lower levels of occupational self-efficacy (r = −0.566, P < 0.01). Leader member exchange was negatively correlated with job stress (r = −0.419, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with psychological safety (r = 0.693, P < 0.01). The linear regression models showed that female pharmacists had lower occupational self-efficacy (β = −0.286, P = 0.024), but higher psychological safety (β = 0.234, P = 0.042). Higher work ability was associated with lower job stress (β = −0.529, P < 0.001), higher occupational self-efficacy (β = 0.511, P = 0.001), and poorer self-related health (β = −0.659, P < 0.001). Conclusions. The findings highlight the importance of a supportive work environment in helping community pharmacists to feel psychologically safe and reduce stress during a crisis.

A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring Australian Pharmacists’ and Students’ Management of Common Oral Mucosal Diseases

“…However, volunteer bias may have been present, as the respondents were mainly younger, and the responses may represent participants who had a greater interest in oral healthcare; hence, our findings likely represent the views of younger/early career pharmacists and those about to enter the Australian pharmacy workforce who have an interest in oral healthcare. The response rates from this study are comparable to many recent Australian pharmacy-practice-based surveys, which report similar responses from approximately <1% to 20% [29][30][31][32][33]. It is also worth noting that most participants practiced in community settings, which is reflective of the fact that minor ailments are mainly treated and triaged by community pharmacists.…”