The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is the global body for pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmaceutical education, and the IPU is among its 156 members. In late October, FIP published Workforce sustainability and supporting positive practice in community pharmacy, which details research by FIP’s Community Pharmacy Section, that sets out the challenges that community pharmacist workforces are facing. Former IPU President Daragh Connolly is Chairman of the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Practice.

Among the most notable findings are that 62% of survey respondents are experiencing burnout or other mental health concerns related to their work as pharmacists. In the foreword to the report, FIP President Paul Sinclair says, “There is no health without a health workforce, and we know that community pharmacists are an integral part of a modern primary healthcare system, performing pharmaceutical triage and providing pharmacy services for people with long-term conditions. Without pharmacists, our health systems and our communities would have fared much worse during the pandemic.”

The report makes recommendations for both policy and practice to support the mental health and wellbeing of pharmacists. It is the first report from a global perspective that gathers individual community pharmacist’s experience of their day-to-day practice in their communities and their own outlook on their future practice and the sustainability of their profession. The IPU’s Employee Pharmacist Committee provided key input into the report, led by IPU Professional Services Pharmacist, Lara Marín.

Key findings

The following are outlined as key findings in the report:

1. Approximately 60% of community pharmacists expressed a strong belief in the future of their profession, reflecting a strong conviction in the sustainability of the role and future potential of community pharmacy;
2. Moreover, the overwhelming, nearly 90% of respondents expressed high confidence in their professional competence, providing strong evidence of a profession that is well-prepared and willing to meet evolving healthcare challenges and opportunities;
3. The report emphasises the perception of the future sustainability in community pharmacy, with approximately half the respondent’s expressing confidence in its sustainability and the professional impact it could have on healthcare;
4. The positive perception of community pharmacists’ contributions during the pandemic highlights the profession’s unique ability to step up and provide vital healthcare services when other healthcare practitioners’ doors were closed.
5. The optimism shown in the responses to this questionnaire aligns with the global sentiment among pharmacists, as highlighted in various national surveys;
6. In contrast, 62% of survey respondents have acknowledged experiencing burnout or other mental health concerns related to their work as pharmacists. These data are a stark and concerning statistic which needs to be addressed;
7. The survey findings on community pharmacists’ well-being and workplace pressures further emphasise the pressing need for comprehensive policy and practice recommendations;
8. Most respondents indicated they were not aware of any policies or formal programmes aimed at addressing workplace pressures and supporting mental health in their regions, with only 10% of surveyed individuals indicating the presence of such policies or programmes;
9. The varying perceptions of policy and programme effectiveness among those who reported the presence of policies or programmes highlight the complexity of addressing burnout and mental health concerns within the profession. This finding provides further evidence of the urgent need for the establishment of global policy which can be tailored to local or reginal needs, albeit that some countries have taken proactive steps to address these issues and lessons could be learned from their experiences;
10. Cultural factors play a significant role in how mental health is perceived and addressed; and
11. By recognising and addressing the root causes of mental health challenges and considering local factors, initiatives can have a more significant and lasting impact on the well-being of pharmacists worldwide.

Recommendations

The report also made a series of recommendations, which the authors hope will guide policy and practice in community pharmacy. The report states; “By proactively implementing these recommendations at local, national and international levels, stakeholders can work collaboratively to secure the future and continued evolution of community pharmacy, support the mental health and well-being of pharmacists, and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality patient care.”

• Recommendation 1: Develop continuous evidence-based solutions dedicated to mental health and well-being of pharmacists, tailored to the unique challenges faced in community pharmacy. The comprehensive insights gathered from pharmacists worldwide in the qualitative work presents a compelling call to action for the betterment of mental health and well-being within the pharmacy profession. The multifaceted challenges articulated by pharmacists from diverse regions underscore the urgency of addressing these pressing issues. The emphasis on improved working conditions, equitable remuneration, and professional recognition illuminates the holistic approach required to nurture a sustainable and thriving pharmacy workforce. There is an opportunity for pharmacists’ professional organisations and for FIP to support them to develop and lead the implementation of these programmes;
• Recommendation 2: Establish mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of mental health policies and initiatives. This includes targeted support for the well-being of pharmacists to ensure the effectiveness of mental health support measures;
• Recommendation 3: Any programme developed as part of expanded scope of practice of pharmacists should include support for mental health and well-being of pharmacists as an intrinsic part of the programme. As the profession extends its scope of practice, it is evident that there will be increased pressures on the mental health and well-being of pharmacists. Addressing these issues will not only help improve pharmacists’ well-being but also help the successful implementation of expanded scope programmes;
• Recommendation 4: Emphasis on recognition and remuneration as part of the transition to patient-oriented services. Emphasise the importance of recognising pharmacists as healthcare specialists and ensure they receive adequate remuneration that reflects the value of their work. Fair compensation is a crucial aspect of mental health support;
• Recommendation 5: Launch public awareness campaigns to educate the public about the essential role and responsibilities of pharmacists in healthcare. As consumer expectation was a factor identified as impacting on pharmacists’ mental health and well-being, there is a clear need for increased public understanding, through public awareness programmes, and for a more supportive work environment for pharmacists; and
• Recommendation 6: Future research to build upon the optimistic outlook highlighted in this global report while addressing the pressing challenges faced by pharmacists. One avenue for further exploration is to understand the nuances of how the positive and negative factors contributing to the mental health and well-being of pharmacists interact within specific healthcare systems and cultural contexts can inform targeted interventions and policies

Read the report in full at fip.org/file/5641.