Job satisfaction and the future of pharmacy

Reasons for the low levels of job satisfaction reported by hospital pharmacy personnel, the potential impact of this dissatisfaction on the profession, and possible solutions to the problem are discussed. Low levels of satisfaction among hospital pharmacists may be largely because of the manner in which pharmacy is practiced. While leaders in pharmacy have developed innovative programs and colleges of pharmacy have produced highly skilled practitioners, the practice of hospital pharmacy has not kept pace. Young practitioners may be disenchanted with pharmacy practice in the "real world" compared with their expectations, and they may not find their jobs mentally challenging. This may result in boredom, low motivation and commitment, and obsolescence of skills and abilities. To reverse the trend of insufficient mental challenge, the role of the hospital staff pharmacist sould be expanded to include some of the challenging functions presently performed by clinical pharmacists. This could be done by decentralizing pharmaceutical services so that pharmacists have more interaction with patients and other health practitioners. To alleviate dissatisfaction with advancement, a position hierarchy in the pharmacy could be established where pharmacists and support personnel would be promoted to a higher grade on the basis of merit, tenure, and demonstrated competence. Soliciting employee input at staff meetings may have a positive impact on satisfaction with hospital policies and practices. Finally, it is necessary for directors of pharmacy to develop the expertise to deal effectively with problems of human-resources management.