How are ID pharmacists dealing with burnout?
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Click here to read the Cover Story, "Addressing physician burnout ‘a moral imperative.’"
Burnout among medical professionals — already a major public health issue — was further exacerbated by stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a significant issue amid a continued decline in cases.
We asked Melissa D. Johnson, PharmD, MHS, AAHIVP, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and international health at Duke University Medical Center and president of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), how burnout has affected ID pharmacists, who provide a broad spectrum of services for patients.
As an organization, we are acutely aware that COVID-19 has placed unprecedented demands on our infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) pharmacist workforce. SIDP is currently undertaking a workforce survey to better describe this, but one of our members, Dr. Emily Heil, conducted a survey in collaboration with Dr. Julia Szymczak and others from October to December 2021 that was presented at IDWeek.
At that time, 36% of respondents were experiencing burnout. The majority of respondents in that study were pharmacists. The researchers identified several factors that were associated with burnout, including lack of support within their work environment. At our upcoming SIDP meeting this fall, our theme is the “Future of ID Pharmacy.” We will be highlighting these issues, as well as discussing ways for us to build and retain a sustainable ID/ASP pharmacist workforce.
Adequate resources and support from leadership, peers and colleagues seem to be essential pieces of the puzzle to ensure we have what we need to optimize antibiotics for our patients.
- Reference:
- Szymczak JE, et al. Prevalence and drivers of burnout among antimicrobial stewardship personnel in the United States: A cross-sectional study. Presented at: IDWeek; Oct. 19-23, 2022; Washington, D.C. (hybrid meeting).
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