Workplace Flexibility Could Increase Quality of Life, Productivity for Pharmacy Employees

A flexible work arrangement is associated with higher levels of quality of life and productivity in employees who work at a health system specialty pharmacy, according to research presented at the ASHP Pharmacy Futures 2024 conference, held June 8 to 12 in Portland, Oregon.¹ Authors of the study said the findings can help promote employee satisfaction and operational efficiency.

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A flexible work environment encompasses many different types of work arrangements, but the 2 most popular are hybrid and remote work. Since the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted normal schedules, hybrid work has become increasingly utilized. According to a recent study published in Nature, hybrid work can improve job satisfaction and reduce quit rates.²

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At the University of Kentucky Specialty Pharmacy and Infusion Services, a hybrid work schedule is available to pharmacists, technicians, and other clinical and administrative staff. This gives the employees the ability to alternate between remote and onsite work. In an effort to evaluate the impact of employee worksite location on well-being and productivity, investigators conducted a survey with the pharmacy’s employees.

The study cohort included 50 staff members who filled out the survey between February and March 2024. The surveys, which included 20 daily responses from each employee, asked questions about the employee’s designated work role, if they worked hybrid or fully onsite, where they worked each day, and self-evaluated productivity and wellbeing scores rated on a scale from 1 to 100. Other questions also asked about miles driven, expenditures on food, and time dedicated to preparing for work.

Of those who responded to the survey, 37 had a hybrid schedule and 13 worked fully onsite. Of the 1000 responses collected, 687 represented onsite work and 313 were work from home. The investigators found that the median self-reported quality of life score was significantly higher in the work from home responses. The median self-reported productivity score was also seen to be higher in the work from home responses.

Additionally, significant differences in median quality of life and productivity were also seen in a subgroup analysis of responses from hybrid workers.

“This survey reveals a notable association between work from home days and higher self-reported levels of employee quality of life and productivity,” the authors concluded. “These findings underscore potential benefits of flexible worksite and remote work opportunities in promoting pharmacy employee satisfaction and operational efficiency. Further investigation is warranted in other practice settings and institutions to better understand the broader implications of work from home arrangements on employee performance and organizational outcomes.”

Check out more of our coverage from ASHP 2024 here.

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References

1. McCoy HN, Rhudy C. Health system specialty pharmacy employee well-being: a longitudinal survey exploring the impact of worksite on self-evaluated quality of life and productivity. Presented at ASHP Pharmacy Futures 2024; June 8-12, 2024; Portland, OR.

2. Bloom N, Han R, Liang J. Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance. Nature. 2024 Jun 12. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07500-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38867040.