Irish pharmacists, and indeed those in many other professions, face an ever-increasing complexity in their working lives; high workloads, tight staffing levels, regulatory pressures, and increased demand from patients. Recent surveys and anecdotes have revealed widespread concerns about stress and burnout among the profession. In my recent Wellbeing in the Pharmacy programme, run in conjunction with the IPU, pharmacists reported experiencing difficulty switching off from work, feeling undervalued, and experiencing professional fatigue.
The challenges are many; long hours without scheduled breaks, navigating a multitude of services that include not only dispensing prescriptions and supervising OTC sales, but also providing vaccination services, and private consultations. The toll of these various professional stressors is undeniable. Pharmacist burnout is linked to reduced job satisfaction, poorer levels of service for patients, and even an increased risk of medication errors.
The approach to alleviate this situation must be two pronged, with cultural changes and personal interventions both playing an important role. Cultural change includes issues such as staffing levels, remuneration, and reduction of the regulatory and administrative burden. Personal interventions are what we address in the Wellbeing in the Pharmacy programme and consist of science-backed, research-based tools and techniques that allow us to function with a greater degree of personal effectiveness.
Positive psychology, which is the scientific study of wellbeing shifts the focus from what is wrong, broken, and diseased to what is good, working and strong. It focuses on potential rather than pathology, so rather than concentrating solely on stress it asks, ‘what helps people flourish and thrive even in the face of difficulty and challenge’?
It identifies key ingredients of wellbeing namely; relationships, engagement, vitality, achievement, meaning, and positive emotions, based on Martin Seligman’s PERMA model.
“Rather than concentrating solely on stress it asks, ‘what helps people flourish and thrive even in the face of difficulty and challenge’?”
Sometimes dismissed as merely ‘positive thinking’, it offers researched tools, techniques, and practical interventions to boost wellbeing and as a consequence, increase resilience.
In the programme we apply the model to the pharmacy setting. Positive psychology does not ignore the real daily stressors we face as pharmacists but provides simple, evidence-based strategies to support resilience, optimism, job satisfaction, and a greater sense of purpose. By focusing on potential, it encourages us to rediscover what drew us to the profession in the first place and reconnect with the sense of meaning and purpose we may have lost along the way.
Gratitude has been shown to boost mood, reduce stress, and strengthen relationships. Stopping, pausing, and taking the time to feel a sense of thankfulness and gratitude has also been linked to improved sleep, lower cortisol levels, and greater psychological resilience. Pharmacists can benefit from simple daily reflections, such as writing down, or simply bringing to mind three good things that have happened in the last 24 hours. These can be as simple as a positive interaction with a patient or colleague, receiving appreciation from a patient for the care you provided, or the satisfaction of completing a particularly complex prescription. Often, we overlook such positive events but by intentionally focusing on them it can help shift our awareness from what is overwhelming to what is working well.
Identifying and using our personal strengths, such as leadership, compassion, and perseverance is a cornerstone of positive psychology, that enhances both job satisfaction and engagement. The free VIA Character Strengths Survey is a useful tool to identify our own personal strengths and that of our teams.
Pharmacists who align their role with their strengths are more likely to experience flow, a state of deep engagement and satisfaction. For example, a pharmacist who has a top strength of ‘love of learning’ may benefit hugely from the opportunity to mentor a pharmacy student or lead IPU Academy sessions, reinforcing both their skill and their passion.
In a team setting, recognising and acknowledging the strengths of colleagues can improve culture, atmosphere, and morale.
Mindfulness, the pathway to self-awareness, is associated with lower stress, improved focus, and greater emotional regulation. Even short daily practices such as breath focus, pausing before a consultation, or noticing rising sensations of stress or tension can create a buffer against the fast pace, and high pressure of the pharmacy environment. Using apps like Insight Timer, Calm, or Headspace for even 5-10 minutes a day of meditation can result in noticeable benefits.
Many pharmacists are attracted to the profession due to a desire to help others. However, the daily administrative and regulatory burden, can often take precedence. Positive psychology encourages a refocus on the ‘why’ of pharmacy. For many this is the kindness and compassion towards a patient going through a difficult diagnosis, the improvements to patients’ quality of life, the trust built, and the community served.
Becoming aware of our own personal values can help us reconnect with our sense of meaning and provide us with protection from burnout. It can also give us a long-term source of both energy and motivation.
Our social connections are a cornerstone of wellbeing. In busy pharmacy settings, it can be tempting to just get on with the job, but fostering supportive relationships can provide greater fulfilment, enjoyment, and psychological safety. When we feel supported by colleagues and valued by employers, we report greater job satisfaction and decreased stress. Encouragement, recognising achievements, and constructive feedback all contribute to creating a better workplace culture.
While individual action by pharmacists to boost their own wellbeing is essential, this can also be supported at an organisational level. This may involve:
To achieve an entire culture shift, embedding wellbeing into pharmacy education is essential. Wellbeing modules on resilience, emotional intelligence, and strengths-based practice included in undergraduate programmes would equip future pharmacists with the skills to not only prepare them for the fast-paced pharmacy environment but promote a culture of wellbeing from the outset.
Pharmacists are highly skilled, committed healthcare professionals operating at the centre of Irelands healthcare system. Pharmacy owners, leaders, and decision makers have a duty to support their wellbeing. Doing so is essential not only for patient safety, but also for the sustainability of the profession.
Séamus Ruane
Community Pharmacist and Positive Psychology Practitioner
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