PRACTICING SELF CARE IN YOUR PHARMACY

The overall health of your pharmacy relies on the mental wellbeing of you and your team. That’s why it’s so important to make mental health a priority in your pharmacy. Try following the tips below to keep your pharmacy from burnout.

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Overworking your staff can take a toll on their mental health. In fact, over 90 percent of Americans feel overworked, and over 70 percent say the pressures of their workplace affect their personal lives. Overworking can wreak havoc on your mental health. It can lead to depression, anxiety, exhaustion, decreased job performance, high blood pressure, and worse. That’s why it’s so important for you and your staff to take time off to avoid burnout.

There are numerous ways to make your staff feel appreciated. Give raises to well-deserving team members, have a pizza party, provide lunch for your team on a regular basis, reward hardworking or struggling team members with gift cards to their favorite places, and/or give them a handwritten note thanking them for being such an awesome employee.

When the pressure and demands of work build up, your staff might keep their stress hidden. Therefore, you don’t know who’s struggling and who isn’t. While you can’t force your staff to share what they’re experiencing, you can be understanding and accepting. Be sure they know that your pharmacy is a safe space where they can open up to you without judgment, and that you’ll do your best to support their needs.

Don’t put unnecessary pressure on your staff. Instead, regularly talk to them to get their perspective on their workloads. This will give you a better idea of what you can add to their plates without overwhelming them. As you focus on everyone else’s mental health, be sure to pay attention to your own. A work/life balance can be challenging for many independent pharmacists. Implement the mental health advice you give to your patients and staff, and regularly check in with yourself to assess the state of your mental health. Adjust things as needed so you can set an excellent example for your patients and staff by making mental health a priority. You’ll provide better care for others when you’re at your best.

All of your pharmacy staff should be taking at least one break during the workday. However, when it gets busy and everyone is struggling to keep up, breaks are often skipped. Make it a goal to keep these occurrences to a bare minimum, especially since federal and state laws govern mandatory break periods. Downtime is important, especially in a high-stress field like pharmacy. By reinforcing breaks, you’re sending your staff the message that their well-being is just as important as the well-being of your patients.

Kleen Bill helps pharmacists provide virtual care for their patients. Pharmacists can offer on-demand, virtual healthcare services for families that include telehealth and teletherapy services, veterinarian visits, and even legal services. Kleen Bill is currently accepting pharmacies to be a part of their pilot program over the next six months.