Salma Hussain, formerly pre-registration trainee pharmacist at the Update Pharmacy, has received a call from Nadia, her friend from university who now works for a large community pharmacy multiple. Nadia sounds distressed and wants to meet Salma urgently.

 “What’s the problem?” Salma asks when they meet.

 “I’ve been qualified just two years and feel burned out already,” Nadia replies. “I’m totally stressed out at work and feel I just can’t take much more.”

“Why’s that?” Salma asks.

“It’s the workload and pressure to meet targets, and the fact that the company just seems to regard me as a profit generation operative.

“I’m expected to deal with a constant stream of prescriptions, as well as advise patients, deal with queries, supervise sales, meet MUR quotas, and do smoking cessation and other clinical services. Plus I’ve got all the governance red tape and company paperwork to cope with.

“I can’t take proper rest or meal breaks, because I’d just come back to a backlog and a queue of disgruntled customers,” says Nadia.

 “Have you taken this up with the company?” says Salma.

 “I just get nowhere. The area manager’s always on my back, telling me I’ll get a bad annual appraisal unless I meet my targets. When I complained to head office they just referred me back to the area manager.

“I feel I can’t take any more, Salma. Tell me what I can do. Should I complain to the Pharm Soc?”

Questions

1. Could or would the RPSGB do anything about Nadia’s situation?

2. What other advice could Salma give?

Answers

1. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Code of Ethics does not have any standards or guidance dealing directly with conditions or situations that might give rise to stress. However, Professional Standard 2.1 requires pharmacists in positions of authority to ensure their policies “ensure the safe and effective provision of pharmacy services”, while Standard 4.4 requires them to ensure that “working conditions and practices… enable staff to provide services to professionally acceptable standards”. Standard 4.5 deals with rest breaks and 7 is about enabling staff to raise concerns. It could be argued that working conditions that lead to stress, and possibly error as a result, are not in accordance with these standards.
It is not known whether a complaint has ever been made to the Society on these grounds and, if so, what action the Society took.

2a) Consider a change of employer, although there is no guarantee that working for another one would be less stressful.

b) Working as a locum may give Nadia more control over her situation and prove less stressful.

c) Contact Pharmacist Support’s Listening Friends’ stress help service. It is free and provides a sympathetic ‘listening ear’ from trained volunteer pharmacists and an opportunity to talk through possible options. Counsellors can also refer callers to sources of expert advice.

d) Join a pharmacist employees’ representative organisation, such as the Pharmacists’ Defence Association. It may be able to take up Nadia’s case with her employer.

This article can help with these CPD competencies: G1g, G1h, G2j, G2k, G3k, G3l, G4a, G4f

See http://tinyurl.com/68ox7b