Barriers and Strategies for Transition from Student to Successful Hospital Pharmacist

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Professions Education
• Workforce Transition

Background:

• Health care professionals encounter significant challenges transitioning into the workforce.
• Barriers include lack of confidence, difficult interactions, heavy workload, and fear of errors.
• Evidence on student-to-hospital pharmacist transition is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key barriers for students transitioning to hospital pharmacists.
• To outline strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services (LMPS) pharmacists.
• One-on-one interviews were conducted with a subgroup of new pharmacists.

Main Results:

• A performance score correlated with role satisfaction (r=0.550, p<0.001) and years of experience (r=0.333, p<0.001).
• Specialty work and orientation programs were linked to higher performance.
• The first year of work showed the greatest need for support, with trainers and social support being most helpful.

Conclusions:

• Key barriers include limited experience, lack of advanced education, knowledge gaps, and role uncertainty.
• Successful transition positively impacts job satisfaction.
• Workplace strategies like structured orientation and first-year support are recommended.