Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care?
Background: Community pharmacists have expanded their roles beyond traditional medication dispensing to include various clinical services. They play a critical role in reducing medication-related errors and enhancing patient safety. However, their effectiveness is significantly influenced by their w...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000824 |
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| author | Goar Alvarez Taylor Harris Erika Zwachte Fennick Leanne Lai Jesús Sánchez Rawan Alkhamisi |
| author_facet | Goar Alvarez Taylor Harris Erika Zwachte Fennick Leanne Lai Jesús Sánchez Rawan Alkhamisi |
| author_sort | Goar Alvarez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Community pharmacists have expanded their roles beyond traditional medication dispensing to include various clinical services. They play a critical role in reducing medication-related errors and enhancing patient safety. However, their effectiveness is significantly influenced by their work environment and associated challenges. Objectives: This cross-sectional study evaluates the stress levels of community pharmacists in Florida, USA, and examines how stress impacts patient care. Methods: A survey was developed and emailed to 23,016 licensed pharmacists in Florida. Responses were collected from March 9 to April 15, 2022. The primary outcomes measured were workplace stressor frequency in community pharmacies and the relationship between work environment factors and patient care quality. Secondary outcomes assessed differences in average Perceived Stress Scores (PSS) between chain and independent pharmacists and between those in managerial versus non-managerial roles. Results: Of 361 responses, 257 pharmacists completed the survey. Most (84.8 %) were chain pharmacists, 15.2 % independent. The primary stressor was staffing issues (57.98 %). Additionally, 71.9 % deemed working conditions unsafe, and 78.4 % struggled to provide quality care due to work stress. Chain pharmacists had significantly different PSS scores (22.72) versus independent pharmacists (22.82, p = 0.0034). No difference existed between managerial (25.44) and non-managerial pharmacists (25.11, p = 0.5962). Spearman correlations showed significant negative associations between PSS scores and difficulty providing quality care (ρ = −0.47, p < 0.0001) and unsafe conditions perceptions (ρ = −0.51, p < 0.0001). Patient care measures correlated positively (ρ = 0.71, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Stress significantly impacts community pharmacists' ability to provide quality care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2eec8f22c11f45f78ffa2ca9b71342fe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj-art-2eec8f22c11f45f78ffa2ca9b71342fe2025-08-20T04:00:32ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662025-12-012010064110.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100641Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care?Goar Alvarez0Taylor Harris1Erika Zwachte Fennick2Leanne Lai3Jesús Sánchez4Rawan Alkhamisi5Assistant Dean of Pharmacy Services, Associate professor, PGY-1 Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program Director, Department of Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Corresponding author at: 3200 S University Dr, Davie, FL 33328, United States of America.PGY-1 Community-Based Pharmacy Resident, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USAClinical Pharmacist, Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USADepartment of Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, Professor, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USADepartment of Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USABackground: Community pharmacists have expanded their roles beyond traditional medication dispensing to include various clinical services. They play a critical role in reducing medication-related errors and enhancing patient safety. However, their effectiveness is significantly influenced by their work environment and associated challenges. Objectives: This cross-sectional study evaluates the stress levels of community pharmacists in Florida, USA, and examines how stress impacts patient care. Methods: A survey was developed and emailed to 23,016 licensed pharmacists in Florida. Responses were collected from March 9 to April 15, 2022. The primary outcomes measured were workplace stressor frequency in community pharmacies and the relationship between work environment factors and patient care quality. Secondary outcomes assessed differences in average Perceived Stress Scores (PSS) between chain and independent pharmacists and between those in managerial versus non-managerial roles. Results: Of 361 responses, 257 pharmacists completed the survey. Most (84.8 %) were chain pharmacists, 15.2 % independent. The primary stressor was staffing issues (57.98 %). Additionally, 71.9 % deemed working conditions unsafe, and 78.4 % struggled to provide quality care due to work stress. Chain pharmacists had significantly different PSS scores (22.72) versus independent pharmacists (22.82, p = 0.0034). No difference existed between managerial (25.44) and non-managerial pharmacists (25.11, p = 0.5962). Spearman correlations showed significant negative associations between PSS scores and difficulty providing quality care (ρ = −0.47, p < 0.0001) and unsafe conditions perceptions (ρ = −0.51, p < 0.0001). Patient care measures correlated positively (ρ = 0.71, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Stress significantly impacts community pharmacists' ability to provide quality care.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000824Community pharmacyPharmacist stressPatient care impactWorking conditions |
| spellingShingle | Goar Alvarez Taylor Harris Erika Zwachte Fennick Leanne Lai Jesús Sánchez Rawan Alkhamisi Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Community pharmacy Pharmacist stress Patient care impact Working conditions |
| title | Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? |
| title_full | Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? |
| title_fullStr | Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? |
| title_short | Community pharmacy working conditions: Is stress impacting patient care? |
| title_sort | community pharmacy working conditions is stress impacting patient care |
| topic | Community pharmacy Pharmacist stress Patient care impact Working conditions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276625000824 |
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