Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Hospital departments of pharmacy are experiencing significant challenges in the recruitment and retention of trained hematology-oncology pharmacists. The reasons for these challenges are varied, but one consistent challenge is the growing attrition of clinically-trained pharmacists from the patient care environment. METHODS: An electronic 21-item survey was distributed to oncology pharmacists across the United States. The survey assessed work environment, board certification, clinical commitment, and other factors. How those factors might be associated with reported job satisfaction and risk for attrition was examined. RESULTS: A total of 607 individuals responded to at least one of the survey questions, with the majority representing those actively in clinical practice. The results demonstrate that the oncology pharmacy workforce is a highly trained and capable one, with a high level of satisfaction with their work. That said, over 60% of those who responded indicated that they were either actively seeking or open to alternate employment outside of the patient care environment. The largest contributing factors to attrition risk include untenable work burdens, burnout, lack of work-life integration, and ineffective leadership, while commitments to clinical work were associated with improved job satisfaction and decreased attrition risk. CONCLUSION: These results bring to light the current state of satisfaction and attrition risk for the oncology pharmacy workforce nationwide. A significant opportunity exists to improve the experience of these pharmacists, particularly in the patient care environment. Based on these findings, departmental, organizational, and national leadership must pursue more tenable work burdens, better value and recognition measures, and more accurate and meaningful metrics for clinical pharmacists in order to retain this important workforce.
