Coping with the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of community pharmacists from Serbia.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Rapid spread of COVID-19 forced the public to turn to community pharmacies as the most accessible points of primary healthcare, overloading pharmacy services. The objectives of this research were to detect and describe the changes in work environment of community pharmacists in Vojvodina during the state of emergency due to COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic effects on job related stress were assessed.Methods
Community pharmacists from Vojvodina completed an online questionnaire on work environment changes related to COVID-19 (cross-sectional study).Results
Out of the 1574 licenced pharmacists in Vojvodina, 392 completed the survey. Workload increase, reported by 90.8% of pharmacists, was caused mostly by higher demand for safety equipment, antiseptics and disinfectants, dietary products and medicines. Most pharmacists (93.1%) considered pharmacy workflow to be more complex than before the pandemic. Clients' behavior was described as less pleasant since the start of the pandemic by 67.6% of the community pharmacists. Many were concerned for their health and the health of their families (68.9%). Community pharmacists rated their stress levels higher if they i) were working in larger chains, ii) experienced clients' behavior as less pleasant or/and iii) were concerned for their/their family health.Conclusions
Current research pointed out the need for a more robust healthcare system which would allow rapid introduction of new activities and roles for community pharmacists that could possibly decrease job-related stress. Legal steps to improve the work environment in community pharmacies are necessary and urgent in order to fully utilize their skills and knowledge.
SUBMITTER: Jovicic-Bata J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8022120 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundCommunity pharmacists played an essential role in the control and management of the COVID-19 pandemic; both pharmaceutical care and community pharmacists were affected, given that, patients' needs and demands increased due to the fear of lockdowns and shortage of medication throughout the pandemic.ObjectivesThis study was based in Lebanon and aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (1) pharmacists, including infection rates, pay, and working hours, and (2) pharmacy practice, including medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages.DesignA cross-sectional study involving 120 community pharmacists was carried out between August and November 2021.MethodsData were collected using an online survey filled out by pharmacists working in Lebanon.ResultsMost participants (71.7%) reported an increase in their income during the pandemic, and 60% reduced their working hours. A significant association was noted between being previously infected and marital status, level of education, work position, and salary of the participants. Most participants (95.8%) encountered a shortage of medications during the pandemic leading to high home storage of medication, searching for other sources of medicines, and decreased patient/pharmacist interactions.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic imposed new challenges on pharmacists and the provision of pharmaceutical care. It affected pharmacists' daily routines, putting them at risk of infection with limited availability of medicines and PPE. This study suggests that establishing effective crisis management plans to increase community pharmacists' resilience during similar outbreaks.
| S-EPMC10067468 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed healthcare staff to mental distress. Given the importance of applying effective strategies to cope with stress caused by COVID-19, this study aimed to assess the stress-coping strategies of Iranian healthcare providers. This cross-sectional study was performed through a web-based survey. Data collection was done online using a demographic data questionnaire and the short form of Endler and Parker’s coping inventory. The mean scores of task-oriented strategies (27.06 ± 5.13) were higher than avoidance-oriented (19.42 ± 5.77) and emotion-oriented strategies (18.45 ± 5.76), and the healthcare workers mainly used task-oriented styles to cope with COVID-19-related stress. There was a significant difference between the score of task-oriented strategy in terms of age groups (P < 0.001), work experience (P = 0.018), level of education (P < 0.001), having children (P = 0.002), and type of hospital (P = 0.028). The score of task-oriented strategies was lower in employees who were in the age group of 20–30 years and had less than 10 years of work experience, and it was higher in employees who had children, worked in private hospitals, and had a master's degree or higher. The score of emotion-oriented strategies in the age group of 51–60 years was significantly lower than other age groups (P < 0.01) and was significantly higher in employees with a bachelor's degree than those with a master's degree or higher (P = 0.017). There was no significant difference between the scores of avoidance-oriented strategies and any socio-demographic variables. According to the findings of this study, young and less experienced employees were more inclined to utilize emotion-oriented coping styles. Therefore, considering appropriate training programs for these employees to apply effective coping strategies is extremely important.
| S-EPMC10257513 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in profound health challenges across the globe. Pharmacists' readiness to cope with the pandemic is critical in supporting and sustaining the healthcare workforce to meet the challenges.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine community pharmacists' views on their work environment, policies and preparedness for safe retail patronage to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and assess the variables influencing coping strategies during the pandemic.SettingAn online survey of pharmacists practising in community pharmacy setting in Malaysia.MethodA questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Malaysia to evaluate coping strategies of community pharmacists and pharmaceutical services provided during COVID-19 pandemic. Between May 1 and July 31, 2020, the questionnaire was distributed to pharmacists working in community setting nationwide utilising a snowball sampling method.Main outcome measureCommunity pharmacists' perceptions on safety, resilience, organisational support, and pharmaceutical services offered during COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsA total of 217 pharmacists participated in the study. The vast majority of community pharmacists reported a positive outlook and were able to balance working with self-care during this period. Most reported to have access to personal protective equipment such as gloves and hand sanitisers. A large proportion of community pharmacies also installed physical barriers in doorways or in front of the counter, put markings on the ground to section areas to ensure physical distancing, and controlled the number of customers who could access the pharmacy during this period. Innovations reported to be implemented included teleconsultations and providing curb-side or drive-through delivery and pickup services.ConclusionThe findings suggest the frontline and essential roles of community pharmacists in delivering pandemic responses, creating the opportunity to determine areas where community pharmacy services can be incorporated to strengthen the public health system and improve patient health outcomes.
| S-EPMC8646361 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: COVID-19 has severely affected university students everywhere in the world. Due to fear of infection, government and local authorities in China immediately closed academic institutions and tried to find survival techniques to cope with market turbulence. COVID-19 was present in China at the end of 2019. However, little attention has been paid by researchers to coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and few measures were taken to assess the coping strategies of university students, specifically following the closure of their institutions. To address this gap, this study attempted to discover the coping strategies of Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: We conducted an online survey using a semi-structured questionnaire with a simple random sampling technique and received 559 responses. The survey questions captured information about students' lives during the COVID-19 outbreak, actions to control anxiety, and what students care about during the pandemic. The associations between coping strategies used and levels of anxiety were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures. SPSS Statistics v27 was used for statistical analysis in this study. Results: The university students reported that coping strategies and survival techniques were required due to high levels of anxiety and psychological pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the respondents reported the prompt closure of their academic institutions due to COVID-19. Psychological concerns, such as lack of sleep, emotional support, mental support and social appeal, were also reported. Conclusions: This is one of the very first studies on coping strategies for anxiety in China. The study reveals that university students employ a number of coping strategies in relation to COVID-19, but also suggests a need to strengthen such strategies in this population. However, the study was limited to a small number of provinces in China, which may affect the generalizability of the research.
| S-EPMC7682494 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lebanese government has taken the proactive anticipatory measure to minimize the infection rates. Despite the pivotal role of the pharmacists working in hospital settings, hospital pharmacists have not been engaged in the emergency preparedness for hospitals. The primary objective of this survey is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of hospital pharmacists in Lebanon towards COVID-19 pandemic and explore the level of health emergency preparedness of Lebanese hospitals in response to this outbreak.MethodsA standardized English-based, anonymous and online questionnaire was diffused via social media platforms to all Lebanese hospital pharmacists. The questionnaire consisted of 78 questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge-based, attitude-based, practice questions, and pandemic preparedness. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to summarize data.ResultsA total of 81 questionnaires were completed; the participants were able to know > 90% of the knowledge-based questions regarding COVID-19. Most of the respondents were concerned about getting infected and their families due to their professional exposure. Similarly, around 67% were following the safety recommendations. Most of the participants agreed that they are facing shortages, rising prices, and delays in supply of masks and sanitizers. In terms of COVID-19 readiness, about 50% of hospitals have taken practical steps.ConclusionsOur findings revealed an appropriate level of knowledge and good practice towards COVID-19, among the respondents from Lebanese hospitals. National organizations may benefit in utilizing the expertise of the hospital pharmacists to be able to minimize/avoid future waves of COVID-19 if it emerges.
| S-EPMC7498300 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere is a lack of evidence on how the multimodal dynamic process of resilience has impacted personal adaptation of frontline healthcare professionals, working under extreme pressure during the COVID-19 global pandemic.ObjectivesTo explore resilience, burnout and wellbeing for UK pharmacists in patient-facing roles, including individual and organisational factors that align to the ABC-X theoretical model of the dynamic process of resilience.MethodsA non-experimental pragmatist research design was adopted, with a cross-sectional online survey distributed via social media and professional networks between June and July 2020. Quantitative data aligned to a positivist research paradigm was collected using validated scores, to statistically analyse wellbeing, burnout and resilience. Qualitative textual data, consistent with an interpretivist research paradigm, were analysed following an inductive thematic approach.ResultsA total of 199 surveys from pharmacists working within community, hospital and GP sectors were analysed. Wellbeing scores were strongly correlated to resilience scores. Wellbeing and resilience scores were both inversely correlated with burnout scores. Two-thirds of participants were classified as high-risk within the burnout scales.Key stressors were highlighted by participants, who described how individual resources and perceptions shaped their experience, which overall contributed to their burnout. Organisations that supported pharmacists embraced change and quickly adopted new ways of working, such as teleconsultations, flexible and remote working, redesign of workflow, alongside clear guidance. However, there was also reported frustration at lack of, slow or conflicting guidance from employers.ConclusionsThis study adds to the growing evidence base for how individuals are affected by adverse events in a dynamic environment, alongside the role that employers can play in supporting individual and organisational resilience. It provides an opportunity to learn from pharmacists' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a call to action for healthcare organisations to rebuild and invest resources into sustained support for staff wellbeing.
| S-EPMC8760739 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundLittle is known about the usage of coping strategies recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether coping strategy usage varies by pre-pandemic mental health. This study examined the prevalence of different coping strategies and associations of their usage with pre-pandemic mental health.MethodsData were collected from adults residing in metropolitan areas of the U.S. South in May/June 2020 using random-digit-dialing and web-based surveys (n = 1,644). We estimated the prevalence of each coping strategy: (1) keeping up-to-date about COVID-19; (2) taking breaks from the news or social media; (3) taking care of physical health; (4) engaging in relaxing activities; (5) reaching out to and spending time with others; and (6) trying to find comfort in religious or spiritual beliefs. We examined the association between the use of each strategy and pre-pandemic mental health using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for covariates. We also analyzed the association between pre-pandemic mental health and the number of coping strategies employed using ordered logistic regression.ResultsThe most prevalent strategies were: "keeping up-to-date about COVID-19" (53%), "taking care of physical health" (52%), and "reaching out to and spending time with others" (52%). Good pre-pandemic mental health was associated with an increased prevalence of "reaching out to and spending time with others" (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.91). The use of other coping strategies and the number of coping strategies used during the pandemic did not vary by pre-pandemic mental health.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that people who had good pre-pandemic mental health were more likely to connect with other people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the well-documented impact of social support on mental health in disaster contexts, efforts to promote safe social connections for those with pre-existing mental health concerns are needed.
| S-EPMC10362574 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has a social and psychological impact among healthcare workers worldwide and appropriate coping strategies are essential to avoid the negative mental health effects. This study aimed to investigate the coping strategies among the healthcare workers from different countries and their attitude towards teamwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted by using an online, web-based questionnaire, which was distributed to healthcare workers from 32 countries during April and May 2020. The respondents were recruited by the non-random convenience sampling method.ResultsA total of 2166 respondents responded to the survey and the majority were working in low- and middle-income countries. Among them, 36% were doctors, 24% were nurses and 40% worked in other healthcare sectors. More than 70% of the respondents answered that "getting family support" and "positive thinking" were coping methods for them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately half of the respondents worshiped according to their belief and conducted prayers (58.4%) and had adequate sleep and food intake (48.2%). The significant associations were observed between attitude score towards interprofessional teamwork and gender (p = 0.009), age (31-45 years) (p < 0.001), marital status (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), working experience (2-5 years) (p = 0.005), current workplace (clinics) (p = 0.002).ConclusionThe local healthcare authorities should promote coping methods and develop an innovative way to encourage practicing among healthcare workers. Digital mental health support interventions or workplace mental health support teams should be accessible to protect mental wellbeing among healthcare workers.
| S-EPMC8103713 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate the information-seeking behaviour of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relation to COVID-19 and related infections and deaths within the local prefecture.DesignEcological study.SettingJapan-47 prefectures.MethodsThe number of accesses to a Japanese web page established by the Pharmacy Informatics Group to disseminate information about infection control and the number of infections and deaths in 47 prefectures were investigated from 6 April to 30 September 2020 using the access information on the web page and publicly available information.ResultsDuring the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of accesses was 226 130 (range: 10 984-138 898 per month), the total number of infections was 78 761 (1738-31 857) and the total number of deaths was 1470 (39-436). The correlation between the total number of accesses and that of infections per 100 000 individuals in 47 prefectures was r=0.72 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.83, p<0.001), and between the total number of accesses and deaths per 100 000 individuals in 47 prefectures was r=0.44 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.65, p=0.002).ConclusionsThe information-seeking behaviour of community pharmacists correlated positively with infection status within the community.
| S-EPMC9933132 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHealthcare services across the world have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In primary care, community pharmacists have had an important role in the frontline healthcare response to the pandemic.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the experiences, contributions and perceived challenges of community pharmacists regarding the provision of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with community pharmacists in France. Participants were recruited through a professional organization of pharmacists combined with a snowballing technique. Interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 16 community pharmacists participated in the interviews. Study participants described providing a range of novel services in response to the pandemic on top of continuing their usual services. All participants described providing preventative services to reduce and mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as education on hygiene and social distancing, delivery of face masks and hand sanitizer and adjusting pharmacy premises. Most respondents also described being involved in SARS-CoV-2 detection through screening and performing antigen testing in pharmacies. Participants reported being actively involved in COVID-19 vaccination by educating the general public about vaccines, facilitating their distribution to general practitioners as well as administering vaccines. Over half the respondents described rapidly changing guidelines and service users' anxiety as challenges to the provision of healthcare services during the pandemic.ConclusionsThis study suggests that community pharmacists have significantly contributed to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring continuity of pharmaceutical services and providing novel screening, testing and vaccination services. Their roles and responsibilities during the COVID-19 health crisis indicate that they can play an important role in the management of emerging infectious diseases.
| S-EPMC9202330 | biostudies-literature