An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics

Background: Lay press investigations have been published that describe pharmacist errors and the workplace environment in the community pharmacy setting. However, recent studies that explore pharmacists' perceptions of patient safety in the workplace are limited. Objectives: 1) To describe phar...

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Main Authors: Reginald Dilliard, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Brady Ratliff, Rebecca Maloney
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-06-01
Series:Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000421
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author Reginald Dilliard
Nicholas E. Hagemeier
Brady Ratliff
Rebecca Maloney
author_facet Reginald Dilliard
Nicholas E. Hagemeier
Brady Ratliff
Rebecca Maloney
author_sort Reginald Dilliard
collection DOAJ
description Background: Lay press investigations have been published that describe pharmacist errors and the workplace environment in the community pharmacy setting. However, recent studies that explore pharmacists' perceptions of patient safety in the workplace are limited. Objectives: 1) To describe pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety; 2) To compare pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety across practice setting type, pharmacist roles, average hours worked per shift, and average hours worked per week. Methods: Actively licensed Tennessee pharmacists were recruited from January 1 and June 30, 2019 to complete a 13-item survey of workplace patient safety perceptions (N=1391). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and nonparametric statistical tests employed to compare differences in perceptions across practice setting type, pharmacist roles, and hours worked per shift and per week. Results: Statistically significant differences in workplace patient safety perceptions were noted across practice setting type (p values <.001) and pharmacist roles (p values <.001). The extent to which pharmacists agreed/strongly agreed that their employer provides a work environment that allows for safe patient care ranged from 29.7% of chain community pharmacists to 85% of compounding pharmacists. Fifty-two percent of staff pharmacists, 56.5% of relief pharmacists, and 58.5% of managers/pharmacists in charge agreed or strongly agreed that their employer provides a work environment that allows for safe patient care, whereas 89.3% of regional managers/directors/vice-presidents and 72.5% of clinical/specialty pharmacists indicated the same. Average hours per shift was inversely correlated with perceptions of workplace patient safety (p values <.001). Conclusion: Tennessee pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety varied widely across practice setting type and pharmacist roles. Perceptions of safety were notably lower in the chain community pharmacy setting. Additional research is warranted to better understand the relationship between pharmacist perceptions and quantifiable patient safety metrics, particularly in the chain community pharmacy setting.
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spelling doaj.art-e096713d95ce4d788675545d6ceccc3f2022-12-21T19:32:00ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662021-06-012100042An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristicsReginald Dilliard0Nicholas E. Hagemeier1Brady Ratliff2Rebecca Maloney3Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, 665 Mainstream Dr, Nashville, TN 37243, United States of AmericaEast Tennessee State University Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, TN, United States of America; Corresponding author at: East Tennessee State University Gatton College of Pharmacy, Box 70657, Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America.East Tennessee State University Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, TN, United States of AmericaEast Tennessee State University Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, TN, United States of AmericaBackground: Lay press investigations have been published that describe pharmacist errors and the workplace environment in the community pharmacy setting. However, recent studies that explore pharmacists' perceptions of patient safety in the workplace are limited. Objectives: 1) To describe pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety; 2) To compare pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety across practice setting type, pharmacist roles, average hours worked per shift, and average hours worked per week. Methods: Actively licensed Tennessee pharmacists were recruited from January 1 and June 30, 2019 to complete a 13-item survey of workplace patient safety perceptions (N=1391). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and nonparametric statistical tests employed to compare differences in perceptions across practice setting type, pharmacist roles, and hours worked per shift and per week. Results: Statistically significant differences in workplace patient safety perceptions were noted across practice setting type (p values <.001) and pharmacist roles (p values <.001). The extent to which pharmacists agreed/strongly agreed that their employer provides a work environment that allows for safe patient care ranged from 29.7% of chain community pharmacists to 85% of compounding pharmacists. Fifty-two percent of staff pharmacists, 56.5% of relief pharmacists, and 58.5% of managers/pharmacists in charge agreed or strongly agreed that their employer provides a work environment that allows for safe patient care, whereas 89.3% of regional managers/directors/vice-presidents and 72.5% of clinical/specialty pharmacists indicated the same. Average hours per shift was inversely correlated with perceptions of workplace patient safety (p values <.001). Conclusion: Tennessee pharmacists' perceptions of workplace patient safety varied widely across practice setting type and pharmacist roles. Perceptions of safety were notably lower in the chain community pharmacy setting. Additional research is warranted to better understand the relationship between pharmacist perceptions and quantifiable patient safety metrics, particularly in the chain community pharmacy setting.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000421Community pharmacyWorkplace safetyPatient safetyCommunity pharmacist
spellingShingle Reginald Dilliard
Nicholas E. Hagemeier
Brady Ratliff
Rebecca Maloney
An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
Community pharmacy
Workplace safety
Patient safety
Community pharmacist
title An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
title_full An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
title_fullStr An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
title_full_unstemmed An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
title_short An analysis of pharmacists' workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
title_sort analysis of pharmacists workplace patient safety perceptions across practice setting and role characteristics
topic Community pharmacy
Workplace safety
Patient safety
Community pharmacist
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000421
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