Occupational burnout syndrome in pharmaceutical workers

Abstract

Introduction. It has been confirmed by a number of foreign and domestic studies, that occupational burnout (OB) is a common phenomenon among medical and pharmaceutical workers. Scientific and practical interest to the study of the causes of OB is due to the specific features of pharmaceutical industry, which associated with the daily communication of pharmacy employees with a large number of visitors who seek for their professional advice. Material and methods. The Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire, adapted for pharmaceutical workers, was used to assess the level of OB and to identify factors that could contribute to it’s development. The study involved employees of pharmaceutical institutions from the Tomsk (TR) and the Novosibirsk (NR) regions as well as from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) - RS (Ya). Results. OB signs were fpound to be typical for pharmaceutical specialists in all tested regions, while more than 1/3 of the respondents have a high degree of this syndrome. The highest degree of OB is common among pharmaceutical workers in the TR, where emotional exhaustion by an integral indicator is expressed in 42.5% of respondents. In the RS(Ya) and the NR, the average degree is observed - in 62.5% and 60.5% of respondents, respectively. At the same time, the indicators of personal achievement reduction are expressed to a low degree: most specialists are able to find the right solutions in conflict situations, adequately cope with emotional problems, and understand and feel their colleagues well. Limitations. When studying occupational burnout among pharmaceutical workers of pharmaceutical institutions in the TR and NR as well as RS (Ya), the total 85 questionnaires were evaluated. Discussion. The obtained data showed differences in the OB severity among pharmaceutical specialists depending on the region. The main factors contributing to the development of OB include the age and length of service, the level of education, the reason for selecting an occupation and the presence of children. Satisfaction with the chosen occupation depends upon the attitude of management towards employees and the level of salary that allows feeling financial independence. Conclusion. Thus, pharmaceutical employees are subject to burnout at work. This problem is a theoretical and practical interest with its goal to find opportunities to prevent the development of burnout and reduce its impact.