British pharmacists' work-life balance - is it a problem?
Elizabeth Seston1, Karen Hassell
1Centre for Pharmacy Workforce Studies, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
The International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
|May 18, 2013
Summary
Pharmacists in Great Britain (GB) experience work/life balance issues influenced by factors like age and work hours. Addressing these challenges requires support from employers and government for diverse workforce groups.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice Research
- Occupational Health
- Sociology of Professions
Background:
- Work-life balance is crucial for healthcare professional well-being and retention.
- The demographic profile of pharmacists in Great Britain (GB) is evolving.
- Understanding factors affecting work-life balance is essential for workforce support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pharmacists' experiences with work-life balance in GB.
- To identify demographic and work-related predictors of work-life balance challenges.
Main Methods:
- A national, representative postal survey of over 44,000 GB-domiciled pharmacists.
- Data collection included demographics, work patterns, and a validated work-life balance measure.
- Regression analyses were used to explore associations between characteristics and work-life balance.
Main Results:
- A 69.6% response rate yielded data from 30,517 pharmacists.
- Analysis of 12,364 complete datasets revealed significant predictors of work-life balance issues.
- Key predictors included age, ethnicity, caring responsibilities, practice sector, work hours, and job type.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacy employers and government must acknowledge the changing demographics of the pharmacy workforce.
- Targeted support strategies are needed to address work-life balance difficulties faced by specific pharmacist groups.
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