A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background: Community pharmacies have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new routines have been introduced to address the needs of customers and staff and to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Burnout has been described among staff possibly due to a changed working climate. However, litt...
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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/S2667276623001087 |
| _version_ | 1797389356393037824 |
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| author | C. Ljungberg Persson A. Nordén Hägg B. Södergård |
| author_facet | C. Ljungberg Persson A. Nordén Hägg B. Södergård |
| author_sort | C. Ljungberg Persson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Community pharmacies have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new routines have been introduced to address the needs of customers and staff and to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Burnout has been described among staff possibly due to a changed working climate. However, little research has focused on the pandemic's effect on patient safety in community pharmacies. Objective: To examine pharmacists' perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workload, working environment, and patient safety in community pharmacies. Methods: A survey was distributed to all Swedish community pharmacists, constituting a census study. Questions regarding the pharmacists' perception of the impact of the pandemic on workload, working environment, and patient safety were included. Respondents were asked to provide comments on their working situation. Quantitative results were analysed using descriptive statistics, and comments were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The response rate was 41% (2034 responses). Most pharmacists (62%) considered the workload to be increased during the pandemic while work environment deteriorated (physical work environment was considered worse by 47% of respondents while psychosocial work environment was considered worse by 59%). Despite this, many respondents (55%) believed that patient safety was not affected. Neither having had COVID-19 nor being afraid of contracting it, influenced these perceptions in any substantial way. Findings were consistent regardless of education, professional role, number of years in community pharmacies, or special assignments in the pharmacies. According to the respondents, the communication within pharmacy companies during the pandemic was inadequate. Conclusions: The impact of the pandemic on working conditions is in line with previous findings but the effect on patient safety needs further studies. The respondents felt the management had a limited understanding of the conditions during the pandemic, which stresses the importance of good and clear communication during a crisis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:55:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9b48795a077b401fa03e595de53b52c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:55:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj.art-9b48795a077b401fa03e595de53b52c62023-12-16T06:10:35ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662023-12-0112100327A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemicC. Ljungberg Persson0A. Nordén Hägg1B. Södergård2School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Corresponding author at: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 453, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden.Farmfast AB, Uppsala, SwedenPharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FinlandBackground: Community pharmacies have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new routines have been introduced to address the needs of customers and staff and to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Burnout has been described among staff possibly due to a changed working climate. However, little research has focused on the pandemic's effect on patient safety in community pharmacies. Objective: To examine pharmacists' perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workload, working environment, and patient safety in community pharmacies. Methods: A survey was distributed to all Swedish community pharmacists, constituting a census study. Questions regarding the pharmacists' perception of the impact of the pandemic on workload, working environment, and patient safety were included. Respondents were asked to provide comments on their working situation. Quantitative results were analysed using descriptive statistics, and comments were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The response rate was 41% (2034 responses). Most pharmacists (62%) considered the workload to be increased during the pandemic while work environment deteriorated (physical work environment was considered worse by 47% of respondents while psychosocial work environment was considered worse by 59%). Despite this, many respondents (55%) believed that patient safety was not affected. Neither having had COVID-19 nor being afraid of contracting it, influenced these perceptions in any substantial way. Findings were consistent regardless of education, professional role, number of years in community pharmacies, or special assignments in the pharmacies. According to the respondents, the communication within pharmacy companies during the pandemic was inadequate. Conclusions: The impact of the pandemic on working conditions is in line with previous findings but the effect on patient safety needs further studies. The respondents felt the management had a limited understanding of the conditions during the pandemic, which stresses the importance of good and clear communication during a crisis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276623001087COVID-19Community pharmacyWorkloadWork environmentPatient safety |
| spellingShingle | C. Ljungberg Persson A. Nordén Hägg B. Södergård A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy COVID-19 Community pharmacy Workload Work environment Patient safety |
| title | A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | A survey of pharmacists' perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | survey of pharmacists perception of the work environment and patient safety in community pharmacies during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 Community pharmacy Workload Work environment Patient safety |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276623001087 |
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