CPhA launches Pharmacy Workforce Wellness initiative to support mental health and sustainability of profession

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - The pharmacy profession is at a crisis point. The COVID-19 pandemic and the latest Omicron wave have stretched pharmacy teams to the limit. With high workloads and human resource shortages we are seeing pressures on our workforce like never before.

In an effort to support the pharmacy community through this challenging time, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is launching the Pharmacy Workforce Wellness initiative to address the core causes driving stress and burnout in the profession, and identify solutions and strategies aimed at minimizing the impact of the pandemic and its effect on the pharmacy workforce.

Pharmacists and their teams are struggling with fears of exposure to COVID-19, staff shortages and increasing workloads. This is in addition to the many challenges the pandemic has already placed on standard pharmacy operations and routine patient care.

"There is a critical need to support our pharmacy community," said Dr. Danielle Paes, chief pharmacist officer at CPhA. "We have asked a lot of pharmacy professionals over the past two years. Their unwavering commitment to carry us through this pandemic and meet the increased public demand for their services has put their own wellness at risk."

As a first step in the Pharmacy Workforce Wellness initiative, CPhA has developed the Canadian Pharmacy Mental Health and Workforce Wellness Survey to understand and highlight the profession's state of mental health and the pressures being felt by pharmacists and pharmacy teams during this challenging time.

"We are asking Canadian pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to take part in this important survey so we can communicate the realities of frontline experiences to government, key stakeholders and the public and advocate for more pharmacy supports," Paes added.

This multi-phased initiative will require strong and collaborative commitment from individuals, organizations, and governments. From research to better understand underlying issues and the development of resources to support pharmacy professionals, to building accurate pharmacy workforce data and engaging in advocacy to support the future of the profession, there is much work to be done in this critical space.

CPhA is committed to bringing the pharmacy community and other stakeholders together to help support pharmacy professionals through this crisis and ensure a healthy, sustainable, and secure future for the profession.

The Canadian Pharmacy Mental Health and Workforce Wellness Survey is now open. Pharmacy professionals can provide their input here.

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is the uniting national voice of pharmacy and the pharmacist profession in Canada. As pharmacists undertake an enhanced role in the delivery of health care services, CPhA ensures that the profession is recognized as a national leader in health care, influencing the policies, programs, budgets and initiatives affecting the profession and the health of Canadians. More information is available at www.pharmacists.ca. 

SOURCE Canadian Pharmacists Association

Tyler Gogo, Strategic Communications Manager, Canadian Pharmacists Association, [email protected], 613-293-7223