Evaluating burnout among clinical pharmacists across 23 governorates in Egypt: a cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study found high burnout levels among Egyptian clinical pharmacists, with factors like financial strain and years of experience significantly contributing to burnout.

Contribution

The study is the first to evaluate burnout among clinical pharmacists in Egypt, identifying key demographic and professional factors associated with burnout.

Findings

75% of clinical pharmacists had moderate or higher burnout levels (CBI ≥ 50).

Financial strain and more years of experience are strongly linked to higher burnout.

Direct patient contact and being female are associated with higher personal burnout.

Abstract

The growth in services provided by clinical pharmacists in Egypt and their collaborative work with physicians contribute to enhancing patient safety and realizing favorable clinical outcomes. Several studies highlighted that clinical pharmacists may be susceptible to burnout. Hence, we are conducting this study due to a lack of research evaluating the prevalence of burnout among clinical pharmacists in Egypt.

We conducted a cross-sectional study on clinical pharmacists in Egypt from October 2022 to January 2023. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant in all tests.

Two hundred twenty-two clinical pharmacists filled out the survey, 75% had moderate and above burnout levels (CBI ≥ 50). Three multivariate models were built to explore burnout across personal, work-related, and patient-related domains. Our key findings indicate that individuals facing financial strain (insufficient income and debt) are significantly more likely to experience higher burnout. Additionally, those with a master's degree (compared to a bachelor's in pharmacy) are more prone to work-related burnout. Furthermore, an association exists between more years of experience and elevated levels of both work and personal burnout. Lastly, direct patient contact and being female are linked to higher personal burnout.

In terms of univariate predictors for high overall burnout (CBI ≥ 75), more years of experience and being in debt are significantly associated with higher odds of burnout (with odds ratios of 1.08 and 6.00, respectively). The back stepwise regression model reinforces the impact of years of experience, suggesting that for each additional year of experience, the odds of high burnout increase by approximately 8.4%

The prevalence of burnout among clinical pharmacists is high. Demographic characteristics may significantly influence burnout levels within specific domains. Notably, pharmacists with more years of experience are more likely to experience high burnout. These findings are alarming and warrant further investigation. Proper interventions are needed to identify the reasons behind this trend among more experienced pharmacists. By identifying these factors, we can develop effective strategies to mitigate burnout and promote well-being in this group of professional healthcare providers.

Information was collected from 222 clinical pharmacists across 32 governorates in Egypt. The names of the governorates are displayed on the left side, with each color representing a different governorate. The frequency of responses from each governorate is indicated by columns on the map; the taller the column, the higher the frequency from that governorate. Demographic data is also represented, including gender (female and male), residency (rural or urban), highest education level (Doctorate, PhD; Master, MSc; or Bachelor, BSc), and income status($, Not enough and in debt; $$, Not enough; $$$, Just enough; or $$$$, Enough and can save). We also represented the average age (in years), experience (in years), and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory average scores for each domain for all responders.

Figures