WASHINGTON, DC—A nationwide pulse survey of pharmacists reaffirms reports that APhA is hearing from pharmacy teams – that they are stressed and stretched while remaining focused on protecting their communities from COVID-19.
Forty percent of survey respondents felt they did not have adequate support staff to safely offer COVID-19 vaccines. Over one in four survey respondents (27%) reported that their practice has closed or decreased operating hours due to staffing shortages. The top factors affecting the ability to safely administer COVID-19 vaccines include high patient demand (18%) and staffing shortages (17%).
Although 22% of survey respondents indicated workload exhaustion prior to the pandemic, that number has skyrocketed to 78% of respondents citing workload exhaustion during the pandemic. Almost half of the survey respondents (47%) reported the pandemic caused an increase in their hours, with only 12% reporting a salary increase.
“Pharmacists and pharmacy teams are at the front-lines of community response to the pandemic providing a wide range of patient care services for continuity of care, COVID treatment, testing, and preventive services such as immunizations. APhA is committed to advocating for the resources and support pharmacy teams need to safely provide these critical services to our communities,” said Scott Knoer, APhA CEO and Executive Vice President.
The pulse survey is the latest in a series of surveys on vaccine confidence conducted periodically by the American Pharmacists Association since September 2020. The 544 pharmacists surveyed from December 17, 2021 – January 5, 2022, included pharmacists from every region in the nation. They work in a broad range of practice settings, with 87% practicing in community-based settings.
This survey was conducted as part of “Vaccine Confident,” which is funded in part by a collaborative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — CoAg number 1 NU50CK000576-01-00. The CDC is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Contents of this resource do not necessarily represent the CDC or HHS, and should not be considered an endorsement by the Federal Government.
About APhA
The American Pharmacists Association is the only organization advancing the entire pharmacy profession. Our expert staff, and strong volunteer leadership, including many experienced pharmacists, allow us to deliver vital leadership to help pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians find success and satisfaction in their work, while advocating for changes that benefit them, their patients and their communities. For more information, please visit www.pharmacist.com.