Interpersonal interactions, job demands and work‐related outcomes in pharmacy

Objectives  The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between job demands of pharmacists and resources in the form of interpersonal interactions and its association with work‐related outcomes such as organizational and professional commitment, job burnout, professional identity and job satisfaction. The job demands‐resources (JD‐R) model served as the theoretical framework. Methods  Subjects for the study were drawn from the Pharmacy Manpower Project Database ( n  = 1874). A 14‐page mail‐in survey measured hospital pharmacists' responses on the frequency of occurrence of various job‐related scenarios as well as work‐related outcomes. The study design was a 2 × 2 factorial design. Responses were collected on a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses and correlational and multiple regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 17 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Key findings  The 566 pharmacists (30% response rate) who responded to the survey indicated that high‐demand/pleasant encounters and low‐demand/pleasant encounters occurred more frequently in the workplace. The strongest correlations were found between high‐demand/unpleasant encounters and frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion. Multiple regression analyses indicated that when controlling for demographic factors high‐demand/unpleasant encounters were negatively related to affective organizational commitment and positively related to frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion. Low‐demand/pleasant encounters were positively related to frequency and intensity of personal accomplishment. Low‐demand/unpleasant encounters were significantly and negatively related to professional commitment, job satisfaction and frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion, while high‐demand/pleasant encounters were also related to frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion Conclusion  Support was found for the JD‐R model and the proposed interaction effects. Study results suggest that adequate attention must be paid to the interplay between demands on the job and interactions with healthcare professionals to improve the quality of the pharmacist's work life. Future research should examine other types of job demands and resources.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90610/1/j.2042-7174.2011.00165.x.pd

Pharmacist Contributions to the U.S. Health Care System

Objective: The overall goal for this study was to conduct a segment analysis of the pharmacist workforce during 2009 based upon time spent in medication providing and in patient care services. Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the 2009 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey in which a random sample of 3,000 pharmacists was selected. Cluster analysis was used for identifying pharmacist segments and descriptive statistics were used for describing and comparing segments.Results: Of the 2,667 surveys that were presumed to be delivered to a pharmacist, 1,395 were returned yielding a 52.3% overall response rate. Of these, 1,200 responses were usable for cluster analysis. Findings from this study revealed five segments ofpharmacists: (1) Medication Providers, (2) Medication Providers who also Provide Patient Care, (3) Other Activity Pharmacists, (4) Patient Care Providers Who also Provide Medication, and (5) Patient Care Providers. The results showed that, in 2009, 41% of U.S. pharmacists were devoted wholly to medication providing (Medication Providers). Forty-three percent of pharmacists contributed significantly to patient care service provision (Medication Providers who also Provide Patient Care, Patient Care Providers who also Provide Medication, and Patient Care Providers) and the remaining 16% (Other Activity Pharmacists) contributed most of their time to business / organization management, research, education, and other health-system improvement activities. Conclusions: Based on the findings, we propose that the pharmacy profession currently has, and will continue to build, capacity for contributing to the U.S. health care system in new roles for which they have been identified. However, as shifts in professional roles occur, a great deal of capacity is required related to new service provision. Resources are scarce, so an understanding of the most appropriate timing for making such changes can lead to cost-effective use of limited resources for improving patient care

Pharmacist Contributions to the U.S. Health Care System Reported in the 2009 and 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Surveys

Type: Original Researc

Association Between Student Loan Debt on Graduation, Demographic Characteristics and Initial Choice of Practice Setting of Pharmacists

Objectives: (1) To examine trends in level of student loan indebtedness for groups of pharmacists that were first licensed between 1980 and 2006; (2) To examine if demographic variables are associated with level of student loan indebtedness; (3) To examine the association between student loan debt and choice of practice setting while controlling for demographic variables. Methods: Data for this study were collected from a national random sample of 3,000 pharmacists using a self administered survey. Descriptive statistics were used to examine trends in level of indebtedness. The relationships between level of indebtedness, demographic variables and practice setting choice were examined using Chi-square statistics. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the independent association of student loan debt and choice of practice setting while controlling for demographic variables. Results: The proportion of licensed pharmacists reporting student loan debt after graduation, and the mean amount of debt incurred increased between 1980 and 2006. Non-white pharmacists incurred debt at a higher proportion compared to white, and they also incurred significantly higher levels of debt. A lower level of indebtedness was associated with choosing independent practice over chain practice. Conclusions: Student loan indebtedness has been increasing over time, especially for non-white pharmacy students. Future research should be done to examine other factors that might influence student debt load, work contributions and choice of practice settings. The affordability of pharmacy education for students of color and how salaries may or may not help off-set these costs also should be examined closely.   Type: Original Researc

Evaluating the Constructvalidity of Work Commitment Measures

A detailed description of the use of confirmatory factor analysis when evaluating the construct validity of work commitment measures is provided Using a random sample of 841 licensed pharmacists, evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the measures of career commitment, organizational commitment, career withdrawal intention, and job withdrawal intention was obtained. The factor loadings, error variances, and fit indices all indicated an adequate fit. The psychometric properties of each scale indicated that the scale items had high reliabilities. The results of these analyses indicate that confirmatory factor analysis provides an alternative to exploratory analyses when determining the construct validity of work commitment concept measures. Continued use of these scales is recommended in other professional groups so that these results may be replicatedPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67411/2/10.1177_016327879301600405.pd

A Reasoned Action Approach to Physicians' Utilization of Drug Information Sources

Purpose . The effects of attitude and subjective norm were investigated on physicians' intention to use seven drug information sources: the PDR, medical textbooks, medical journals/newsletters, pharmaceutical manufacturers' literature, pharmaceutical manufacturers' representatives, other physicians, and pharmacists. The effects of past behavior and practice characteristics were also examined.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41454/1/11095_2004_Article_306712.pd

The Determinants of Physician Attitudes and Subjective Norms Toward Drug Information Sources: Modification and Test of the Theory of Reasoned Action

Purpose . To improve upon the theory of reasoned action and apply it to pharmaceutical research, we investigated the effects of relevant appraisals, attributes, and past behavior of physicians on the use of drug information sources. We also examined the moderating effects of practice characteristics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41455/1/11095_2004_Article_304305.pd