5. Working conditions and morale

Workload and/or workforce pressures in pharmacy have been reported in the national press in recent times and issues arising from such pressures have been under consideration for a number of years. Long hours and high workload can result in stress and affect morale. There are cases where individual professionals have acted unprofessionally and cited workplace pressure as a cause for their behaivour.

Recognising limitations and seeking assistance are key to ensuring that professionalism is not compromised.

Resources and staffing structure issues are not confined to pharmacy. Following the Francis report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and the Berwick review into patient safety, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) conducted evidence reviews and issued guidance on safe staffing levels on wards. The guidance relates to nursing and midwifery posts but there is learning that can be translated to all professions.

In community pharmacy, minimum staffing levels are often based on the dispensing process as traditionally companies were able to claim practice payments in relation to volume of prescriptions. This does not take into account other services provided in the pharmacy, or footfall that will affect general workload. Employers should be clear how many staff are required for services to be delivered safely and effectively.

It is vital to patient safety that pharmacy technicians understand how these issues could affect their practice and what action to take if there are safety concerns.

Environmental factors such as poor teamwork, out-of-date policies or procedures, lack of appropriate equipment or absence of adequate training can influence professionalism. It is a pharmacy technician’s duty to ensure that their own work meets professional standards regardless of what is happening in their enviroment. If the enviroment is unsuitable, this must be reported to prevent a breach of standards.

Organisational culture plays a part in supporting professional practice. If an organisation is not sighted on continuous improvement, it is unlikely to adopt reflective practices or encourage its employees to do the same. Pharmacy technicians who are not empowered to utilise their full range of skills, develop themselves or challenge the status quo are at risk of accepting sub-standard practice simply because of a ‘that’s how we have always done it’ mentality.

How an organisation communicates its values and commitment to patient safety is a significant factor that can influence professionalism. If an organisation has an open and transparent culture embedded, it is likely to promote near- miss and error reporting that leads to learning for all. A pharmacy technician working in an organisation that accepts a culture of non-disclosure of errors or concerns may come to accept it as the norm and compromise their own professionalism