APhA applauds the release of NAM National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being
On October 3, 2022, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) published the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being.
APhA has been a member of the NAM Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience since 2018, and APhA strongly supports this comprehensive plan. Pharmacists’ and pharmacy teams’ well-being is a top priority for APhA, and we are pleased that NAM recognized our recommendation to include pharmacists in the national plan.
APhA has always been committed to the well-being and resiliency of pharmacists and pharmacy personnel. In response to COVID-19 burdens causing a significant impact on the well-being of pharmacists and pharmacy teams, APhA—in collaboration with the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations—developed the Pharmacist’s Fundamental Responsibilities and Rights, which is now supported nationwide and is a recommended resource within the national plan.
Unfortunately, it is not news to us that pharmacists are facing burnout, stress, and frustration along with other health care workers. We have several comprehensive tools and resources already in place to help address many of those challenges, which can be found on our website at pharmacist.com/wellbeing.
One of these is the anonymous and confidential Pharmacy Workplace & Well-being Reporting (PWWR) tool, which APhA created in response to requests from pharmacists and pharmacy personnel to have a safe place to share positive and negative workplace and well-being experiences. Aggregated PWWR learnings are shared to help address systems-based issues as called for in the national plan.
Additionally, APhA provides a no-charge, anonymous 9-question screening tool, the Well-Being Index for Pharmacy Personnel, to assess levels of stress and evaluate fatigue, depression, burnout, anxiety/stress, and mental/physical quality of life. Both the PWWR and the Well-Being Index for Pharmacy Personnel align with NAM-recommended actions for achieving well-being goals.
APhA stands ready to work with NAM and other strategic partners to address this critical issue. We will remain diligent in advocating for the well-being and resilience of pharmacists and pharmacy personnel nationwide.