LETTERS
Timothy R. Ulbrich, PharmD Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice College of Pharmacy Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2014.13156
References 1. Munger MA, Gordon E, Hartman J, et al. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? J Am Pharm Assoc. 2013;53(3):282– 96. 2. Rodis JL, Legg JE, Casper KA. Partner for Promotion: an innovative advanced community pharmacy practice experience. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;72(6):134–42. 3. Barnett CW, Kimberlin CL. Development and validation of an instrument to measure pharmacists’ satisfaction with their jobs and careers. Am J Pharm Educ. 1986;50(1):5–14.
Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: A profession in jeopardy? Response to Rodis and Ulbrich Rodis and Ulbrich1 raise the importance of providing clinical pharmacy services, namely medication therapy management, to reducing stress and improving satisfaction in community pharmacy practice. They site Rodis et al.,2 a community (i.e., mostly in Ohio) intervention trial designed to test the development and imple-
mentation of new patient care services in 27 students and 22 preceptors to reinforce their perspective. Our study was a national, descriptive, nonexperimental design of 300 independent and community chain pharmacists who were actively practicing, examined through an 88-item battery of statements adapted from a reliable and validated instrument.3 Of important note, the methodologies of our study and that of Rodis et al., were very different, making it challenging to meaningfully contrast the results from one to the other. Our study unequivocally demonstrated that substantive levels of occupation dissatisfaction and stress exist in community practice across the country. This is a position on which Rodis and Ulbrich1 agree with us, as they state, “Dissatisfaction does exist in community pharmacy.” Our results also support their contention that a “minority” of pharmacists are satisfied with their career paths. We agree with the concept advocated by Rodis and Ulbrich1: that the provision of patient-centered services, including medication therapy management, may result in higher levels of satisfaction and less stress.3 The importance of providing patient-centered services must be done
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
j apha.org
in the context of stable or expanding income with comprehensive education initiatives; the latter point was demonstrated by Rodis et al.2 It is important to note that our conclusion and the final statement of Rodis and Ulbrich1 both call for vision toward improving current community pharmacy practice toward “creativity of clinical services.”3 Mark A. Munger, PharmD Professor College of Pharmacy University of Utah Salt Lake City [email protected] Mike Feehan, PhD CEO Observant LLC Waltham, MA doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2014.13183
References 1. Rodis JL, Ulbrich TR. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? Response to Munger et al. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2014:54(1):6–7. 2. Rodis JL, Legg JE, Casper KA. Partner for Promotion: an innovative advanced community pharmacy practice experience. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;72(6):134–42. 3. Munger MA, Gordon E, Hartman J, et al. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? J Am Pharm Assoc. 2013;53(3):282– 96.
JAN /FEB 2014 | 54:1 |
JAPhA 7
Timothy R. Ulbrich, PharmD Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice College of Pharmacy Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2014.13156
References 1. Munger MA, Gordon E, Hartman J, et al. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? J Am Pharm Assoc. 2013;53(3):282– 96. 2. Rodis JL, Legg JE, Casper KA. Partner for Promotion: an innovative advanced community pharmacy practice experience. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;72(6):134–42. 3. Barnett CW, Kimberlin CL. Development and validation of an instrument to measure pharmacists’ satisfaction with their jobs and careers. Am J Pharm Educ. 1986;50(1):5–14.
Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: A profession in jeopardy? Response to Rodis and Ulbrich Rodis and Ulbrich1 raise the importance of providing clinical pharmacy services, namely medication therapy management, to reducing stress and improving satisfaction in community pharmacy practice. They site Rodis et al.,2 a community (i.e., mostly in Ohio) intervention trial designed to test the development and imple-
mentation of new patient care services in 27 students and 22 preceptors to reinforce their perspective. Our study was a national, descriptive, nonexperimental design of 300 independent and community chain pharmacists who were actively practicing, examined through an 88-item battery of statements adapted from a reliable and validated instrument.3 Of important note, the methodologies of our study and that of Rodis et al., were very different, making it challenging to meaningfully contrast the results from one to the other. Our study unequivocally demonstrated that substantive levels of occupation dissatisfaction and stress exist in community practice across the country. This is a position on which Rodis and Ulbrich1 agree with us, as they state, “Dissatisfaction does exist in community pharmacy.” Our results also support their contention that a “minority” of pharmacists are satisfied with their career paths. We agree with the concept advocated by Rodis and Ulbrich1: that the provision of patient-centered services, including medication therapy management, may result in higher levels of satisfaction and less stress.3 The importance of providing patient-centered services must be done
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
j apha.org
in the context of stable or expanding income with comprehensive education initiatives; the latter point was demonstrated by Rodis et al.2 It is important to note that our conclusion and the final statement of Rodis and Ulbrich1 both call for vision toward improving current community pharmacy practice toward “creativity of clinical services.”3 Mark A. Munger, PharmD Professor College of Pharmacy University of Utah Salt Lake City [email protected] Mike Feehan, PhD CEO Observant LLC Waltham, MA doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2014.13183
References 1. Rodis JL, Ulbrich TR. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? Response to Munger et al. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2014:54(1):6–7. 2. Rodis JL, Legg JE, Casper KA. Partner for Promotion: an innovative advanced community pharmacy practice experience. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;72(6):134–42. 3. Munger MA, Gordon E, Hartman J, et al. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: a profession in jeopardy? J Am Pharm Assoc. 2013;53(3):282– 96.
JAN /FEB 2014 | 54:1 |
JAPhA 7
