President’s Page

INCLUSION: IT IMPACTS US ALL

Christopher Clayton, PharmD, MBA

IPA President Director of Pharmacy & Population Health, Buchanan County Health Center

If you haven’t seen it yet, scan the QR code to watch President Chris Clayton’s introductory video! In the summer of 2020, I had the pleasure of starring in my own video. This was an opportunity for the IPA membership to meet the incoming president. When Kate [Gainer] first told me, I was excited but also nervous.

As a pharmacist and leader, I have always gone to work in business attire. It was a shirt and tie every day, until the ties became optional. (I always thought they were an infection control risk…) Professional events were much the same. For over twenty years, there was a work version of myself and a non-work version of myself. Why? I didn’t always feel comfortable showing or sharing the non-work version of myself in professional settings. I felt I wouldn’t be accepted, that I was not good enough for the role I was given, or that due to stereotypes I would be viewed differently. So, when I had the opportunity to share all versions of myself in a video for all of you to see, I was excited but nervous. This is because of the tattoos on my arms.

This past year, I attended the Decker-Temple Leadership Pharmacy conference in Galena, Illinois as an officer of IPA, a different capacity than when I participated many years ago. As a participant, this event really changed my level of engagement in the profession. This year's event included a great session on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and I am thankful for having attended. Something I learned that day was that we could all use some training on this topic. Why? In short, I learned that my preconceived idea of the training was narrow, and the topic is much bigger than many think it is. I truly believe that when we hear about the topic of DEI, some might make assumptions about what it is; I certainly had some of my own assumptions.

As leaders in our departments or organizations, we work with diverse teams. People come from many different backgrounds, and like me, may be coming to work as a different version of themselves. One of the themes in the DEI training that really struck me was the discussion around inclusion. The idea of an organization, department or individual leader helping every team member feel like they belong made me realize that I didn’t always feel that way due to various policies or comments made at times regarding something as simple as having a visible tattoo. For that reason, I always presented myself in a different way. I wonder how many of us do the same thing day after day and how exhausting that must be.

How does this relate to my experience with IPA? Interestingly enough, I think there is a lot of correlation. Our organization represents One Profession. One Voice. across numerous areas of pharmacy practice. This comes with diverse perspectives that have shaped us, and sometimes we do not agree on topics of legislation, policy or how our area of practice may be impacted by another.

As I enter this year as President of IPA, one challenge to myself—and to all IPA members—is to do a better job of stepping outside of those immediate emotions or thoughts and realize we truly are all working together for a common purpose, our patients. ■

RENEW TODAY

COLLABORATION | ENGAGEMENT | EXCELLENCE INCLUSION | INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | LEADERSHIP

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PHARMACY BURNOUT:

“Burnout” is a term that has been pushed to the forefront of everyone’s mind in the profession of pharmacy. The workload of the pandemic coupled with the recent labor shortage has brought many in pharmacy to their wits’ end. Anyone working in a pharmacy knows how to be adaptable, reacting and interacting with a diverse set of situations and people each day, but with recent COVID-19 surges, the end of the pandemic and return to “normal” workflow appears further away. It is important for pharmacy professionals to be able to identify burnout and learn ways to prevent and manage it.

In order to prevent and manage professional burnout, a universal definition of it is required. The 11th

Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The three cardinal symptoms of burnout are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment.1 There has been no greater workplace stressor in the last year than the pandemic, which has been unavoidable. While burnout can affect anyone in the profession of pharmacy, evidence shows that those in their first five years of work are most at risk.2 A 2020 study examining pharmacist burnout found that 64% of critical care pharmacists and 74.9% of community pharmacists have experienced burnout in at least one area.1 Burnout may not be a transmittable disease, but it is time to begin taking steps to prevent and treat it just like any other illness.

Prevention is the first crucial step in managing the problem of professional burnout. There are a myriad of helpful resources out there for preventing burnout including the American Pharmacists

Association’s (APhA) dedicated webpage to promoting resilience and wellbeing. The concept of resiliency is a useful tool in the prevention of burnout. Resiliency is more than the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity; it is how you use your coping skills to navigate stressful situations.

Here are a few coping skills to utilize in preventing and managing burnout. The first skill is to speak up. Pharmacists are master communicators, speaking to and on behalf of patients and their interests daily. Now, it is time for pharmacy professionals to advocate and speak up for themselves. If managers and employers do not know how their employees feel,

AN HONEST CONVERSATION

nothing will change. The only way to address workflow issues or other workplace stressors is by initiating a discussion about them.

A second skill is to practice reframing. While it can be difficult, viewing challenges from a different perspective and focusing on the positive can help manage the depersonalization aspect of burnout. Pharmacy professionals can only do the best they can under the current circumstances.

The last skill is to practice physical and self care. Taking walks, eating a healthy diet, getting proper sleep, listening to music, and other leisure activities can do wonders in managing exhaustion and anxiety.1 Pharmacists do an amazing job of caring for patients, but it is time to take a similar approach in caring for themselves.

Burnout is a pervasive phenomenon across the healthcare profession, and workplace stressors will not cease when the pandemic ends. Pharmacy professionals need to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to prevent and manage professional burnout. An important aspect to remember is the noble nature of the profession. More than 215 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered and reported by retail pharmacies across programs in the U.S.3 This statistic may induce a migraine or stressful flashbacks for some, but it should inspire pride for the work that pharmacy has accomplished in the adverse environment of the pandemic. The pharmacy profession will never be a stranger to adversity and stress, but pharmacy professionals can better equip themselves to face it.

REFERENCES: 1. English T. The pharmacist’s guide to recognizing and preventing burnout. Pharmacist. com. Published July 30, 2021. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.pharmacist.com/ Publications/Transitions/the-pharmacists-guide-to-recognizing-and-preventing-burnout 2. Traynor K. Pharmacists examine risks, remedies for burnout. Ashp.org. Published January 30, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.ashp.org/News/2019/01/30/ Pharmacists-Examine-Risks-Remedies-for-Burnout?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly 3. CDC. The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. Cdc.gov. Published December 27, 2021. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program/index.html

Access APhA’s Well-being and Resiliency Resources

www.pharmacist.com/wellbeing

1. Speak Up 2. Change Your Perspective 3. Practice Self Care