NABP Supports Efforts to Improve Pharmacist Workplace Safety and Well-Being to Safeguard Patient Safety

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL, Jan. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) has released a policy statement detailing its support of current efforts to improve pharmacist workplace safety and well-being. The issues of pharmacist workload, burnout, and well-being, and their effect on patient safety, have been considered for years, but the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has brought concerns related to these issues to the forefront.

In the statement, NABP discusses actions taken by boards of pharmacy and pharmacy associations to address these issues, including:

• NABP’s member boards of pharmacy passing Resolution 117-4-21, Task Force on Workplace Safety and Well-Being, at the Association’s 117^th Annual Meeting in May 2021;
• the convening of NABP’s Task Force on Workplace Safety and Well-Being on November 18-19, 2021; and
• the development of the Pharmacist’s Fundamental Responsibilities and Rights document by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA).   

“The issue of workplace safety and well-being is an important one and NABP commends APhA and NASPA for their efforts to bring a renewed focus to the role of pharmacists and the challenges they face in everyday practice,” says NABP President Caroline D. Juran, BSPharm, DPh (Hon). “It will take both industry and regulators working together to create the necessary changes, as certain provisions may fall outside of the regulatory purview of the boards of pharmacy. NABP supports efforts to ensure that pharmacy practice occurs in a working environment that is conducive to their well-being and protects the safety of all patients.”

Pharmacists have a primary role in the protection of public health and the provision of quality health care. In its statement, NABP asserts that, in support of this role, pharmacists must be given the opportunity to understand their rights and responsibilities and preserve patient safety without fear of intimidation or retaliation. Pharmacists have the right to practice pharmacy with empathy, respect, and passion to effectively deliver quality health care to patients in all demographics.

The full policy statement can be viewed on the NABP website.