Identifying Causes of Pharmacist Burnout

Recent surveys have found high rates of occupational burnout among hematology and oncology pharmacists, with more than half or survey respondents reporting burnout. In a recent interview with Pharmacy Times®, Melissa Santibañez, PharmD, BCCCP, critical care clinical pharmacist at Memorial Regional Hospital, said understanding the impact of burnout is essential.

Santibañez said there is a lack of data on this subject, especially among subsets of pharmacists such as hematology and oncology pharmacists. She believes the high prevalence of burnout is largely because of 3 components: high emotional exhaustion, high levels of disconnect from colleagues, and a lower sense of personal accomplishment or satisfaction.

“Pharmacists, just like any other health care provider and professional, have direct patient care at the core of everything that we do on a daily basis, no matter what setting we work in,” Santibañez said. “That high responsibility comes with very severe implications if we are not managing all of the aspects of our jobs in a healthy manner.”