Development of a concept regarding the safety of the community pharmacist

Abstract

Introduction. Daily, the pharmacist is subjected to stressful situations, caused by various reasons, including direct interaction with the patient, either for consultation or the release of drugs prescribed by the doctor. Thus, the environment created at work, sometimes represents an area of risk and insecurity, and the term "professional burning" is more and more common among pharmacists. Aim of study. The aim of this paper is to investigate the environment and conditions of activity of the pharmacist, with the assessment of the factors that condition the professional burning and the development of a new concept regarding the safety of the community pharmacist. Methods and materials. Assessment of bibliographic data on the safety of the Community pharmacist at work, evaluation of the working conditions and opinion of pharmacists by using the questionnaire, interview, and visit to the workplace to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Results. The assessment and analysis of the bibliographies shows the following data: the survey reveals that 61.2% of pharmacists report that they face stress and verbal and / or physical abuse at work, this being the highest rate of exposure to psycho-emotional health. Emotional exhaustion is most often reported through two statements such as "I feel emotionally exhausted at work" and "I feel tired at the end of the working day." This phenomenon is found in pharmacists who work more than 40 hours a week. In 2018, a study conducted by Zinurova and DeHart assessed the experience of resident pharmacists regarding individual stressors during the work schedule. An average score was obtained by those who had a schedule of less than 60 hours per week and a high score for those who had more than 60 hours per week. A similar study conducted by Le and Young in 2017, shows the presence of anxiety, dysphoria and depression of those who work more than 60 hours a week. In order to assess the stress factors in community pharmacies in the Republic of Moldova, a study similar to the subsequent development of recommendations for reducing burnout was initiated. Conclusion. Stress and psycho-emotional stability can affect the work of the community pharmacist. In order to ensure favorable working conditions, it is necessary to develop the concept of pharmacist safety at work, to set up internal rules and operational procedures to deal with unpredictable situations.