Oncology/Hematology Pharmacists Report High Levels of Burnout

Oncology and hematology pharmacists experience high levels of occupational burnout, according to the results of a survey presented at the at the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting 2021.

The findings, which were presented during a poster presentation on April 13, depicted the prevalence of burnout among hematology/oncology pharmacists in a first-of-its-kind evaluation specifically for this group of healthcare professionals. The study also assessed factors associated with a higher or lower level of burnout in this sample.

A total of 3024 pharmacist and resident HOPA members were invited to participate in an anonymous, web-based survey via email in the fall of 2020. The used the Masiach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Well-Being Index (WBI), and items that explored occupation and sociodemographic factors.

A total of 18% of pharmacists completed the WBI and were included in the analysis. According to the results, 61.8% of respondents reported symptoms of burnout, as defined by a high score on the emotional exhaustion (EE ≥27) or depersonalization (DP ≥ 10) scale of the MBI.

Additionally, 20.2% of respondents were concerned that they made a major medical error within the past 3 months. “This could have serious adverse consequences in patients receiving antineoplastics,” the study authors wrote.

Factors that were associated with a high level of reported burnout included:

• increasing age;
• more hours worked per week;
• more administrative hours per week;
• lack of awareness of wellness programs;
• concern for a major medical error within 3 months; and
• decreased wellness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among those who reported high burnout, 62.7% felt they would benefit from a wellness program. However, 30.5% were not aware of available awareness programs.

Higher levels of reported burnout were also associated with respondents reporting a high likelihood of leaving their position in the next 2 years. Moreover, factors that commonly increased work dissatisfaction were role conflict, quantity of work, workflow disruptions, organizational culture, and leadership support. This is particularly important because loss of clinical expertise and recruitment/onboarding costs can be detrimental for organizations, the authors reported.

Overall, the authors concluded that organization leaders should work to develop meaningful interventions to prevent and mitigate burnout among hematology/oncology pharmacists.

Reference

1. Golbach AP, McCullough KB, Soefje SA, Mara KC, et al. Evaluation of burnout in a national sample of hematology/oncology pharmacists. Presented at: Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Meeting 2021; virtual; April 13.