Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study
Background: Shortages in healthcare workers affects the overall delivery and effectiveness of the provision of healthcare. There are currently insufficient pharmacists working in the community sector in Ireland. While several studies have reported on the factors leading to retention in the medical a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276623001105 |
| _version_ | 1797389322424418304 |
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| author | Matthew Lynch Aisling C. O'Leary |
| author_facet | Matthew Lynch Aisling C. O'Leary |
| author_sort | Matthew Lynch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Shortages in healthcare workers affects the overall delivery and effectiveness of the provision of healthcare. There are currently insufficient pharmacists working in the community sector in Ireland. While several studies have reported on the factors leading to retention in the medical and nursing profession, there is an absence of robust research examining retention within the pharmacist workforce in Ireland. Objective: To identify and understand the range of factors currently at play in the community pharmacy sector in Ireland which influence the decision-making process for pharmacists deciding whether or not to continue to practice as a community pharmacist. Method: A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was used to investigate the factors influencing community pharmacist retention as elicited from the lived experiences of 23 pharmacists. Study recruitment was undertaken using both convenience and purposive sampling. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data to identify and explore themes. Results: A broad and diverse range of factors were identified as affecting community pharmacist retention including working conditions, career fulfilment and progression, regulatory and administrative burden, the commercial focus within community practice, lack of representation and their overall health and well-being. Conclusion: The findings show that there are a number of factors which either individually or cumulatively influence a pharmacist's decision to stay in or leave community practice. Various areas for change were identified, which if addressed are considered likely to improve retention in the sector. These include enhanced terms and working conditions, better acknowledgement and resourcing of professional activities, improved opportunities for career progression, reforms to the regulatory model including the personal accountability of a supervising pharmacist for all of the pharmacy's professional activities, a more streamlined model of reimbursement and more effective collective representation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:55:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13b3e39556fa4b2b807ef83df3aa2054 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:55:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj.art-13b3e39556fa4b2b807ef83df3aa20542023-12-16T06:10:35ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662023-12-0112100329Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative studyMatthew Lynch0Aisling C. O'Leary1School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences , University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland; Corresponding author at: School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences, University of Medicine and Health Sciences Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, 1st Floor Ardilaun House Block B, 111 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, DO2 VN51, Ireland.School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences , University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland; National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, St. James's Hospital, James's St., Dublin 8, IrelandBackground: Shortages in healthcare workers affects the overall delivery and effectiveness of the provision of healthcare. There are currently insufficient pharmacists working in the community sector in Ireland. While several studies have reported on the factors leading to retention in the medical and nursing profession, there is an absence of robust research examining retention within the pharmacist workforce in Ireland. Objective: To identify and understand the range of factors currently at play in the community pharmacy sector in Ireland which influence the decision-making process for pharmacists deciding whether or not to continue to practice as a community pharmacist. Method: A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was used to investigate the factors influencing community pharmacist retention as elicited from the lived experiences of 23 pharmacists. Study recruitment was undertaken using both convenience and purposive sampling. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data to identify and explore themes. Results: A broad and diverse range of factors were identified as affecting community pharmacist retention including working conditions, career fulfilment and progression, regulatory and administrative burden, the commercial focus within community practice, lack of representation and their overall health and well-being. Conclusion: The findings show that there are a number of factors which either individually or cumulatively influence a pharmacist's decision to stay in or leave community practice. Various areas for change were identified, which if addressed are considered likely to improve retention in the sector. These include enhanced terms and working conditions, better acknowledgement and resourcing of professional activities, improved opportunities for career progression, reforms to the regulatory model including the personal accountability of a supervising pharmacist for all of the pharmacy's professional activities, a more streamlined model of reimbursement and more effective collective representation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276623001105Community pharmacistPharmacist representationPharmacist retentionPharmacist working conditionsProfessional acknowledgementRetail setting |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Lynch Aisling C. O'Leary Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Community pharmacist Pharmacist representation Pharmacist retention Pharmacist working conditions Professional acknowledgement Retail setting |
| title | Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study |
| title_full | Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study |
| title_short | Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study |
| title_sort | understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention a qualitative study |
| topic | Community pharmacist Pharmacist representation Pharmacist retention Pharmacist working conditions Professional acknowledgement Retail setting |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276623001105 |
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