Relationship between the working conditions and occupational stress of pharmacists from selected hospitals in Oriental Mindoro before and during COVID-19 pandemic: A correlational study

Abstract

Hospital pharmacists play vital roles in the healthcare system. They are being submerged in various working conditions which can affect their occupational health. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, changes in healthcare context altered working conditions of hospital pharmacists which may cause occupational stress. This study determined if there was a relationship between the working conditions and the occupational stresses of hospital pharmacists before and during the pandemic. Using a purposive sampling technique, the researchers conducted an online survey among 80 hospital pharmacists in selected public and private hospitals in Oriental Mindoro. Data were analyzed using mode and frequency distribution, Wilcoxon’s Test, Pearson’s r, and logistic regression. Results showed a significant relationship between certain working conditions and occupational stresses of respondents, ranging from very low to low. Particularly, the sources of occupational stresses before the pandemic were working hours and workload which were correlated with lack of encouragement and recognition from hospital administration and overlooked concerns by superiors, respectively. Meanwhile, during the pandemic, the working conditions which caused occupational stresses shifted to areas of compensation and administrative support. Compensation was correlated with occupational stresses including: discontentment from quality of work, exhaustion, discomfort from communicating concerns, discontentment from work benefits and compensation, demotivation from delay of salary, burden of working due to difficulties in transportation, overlooked concerns by superiors, and pressure to meet society's high standards for medical treatment, while administrative support was correlated with lack of encouragement and recognition from hospital administrations and feeling of being undervalued as legitimate healthcare workers.