Occupational burnout in pharmacists practising in a pharmacy - research protocol

Introduction: Burnout describes emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion directly related to the occupational environment observed in healthy individuals. The Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS(MP)) tool is used as a standard for evaluating burnout among medical professionals. According to Maslach, those affected by burnout are characterised by a combination of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation and dehumanisation (DP), as well as impaired performance (PP). Burnout syndrome is considered with increased values of one of the EE and/or DP scales and/or decreased PP. The purpose of this article is to present a research protocol a study aim ing to determine the level of professional burnout and analyse the work environment of master pharmacists practising in pharmacies serving the population. Material and methods : To achieve the purpose of the study, a direct anonymous paper -based survey was carried out , intended for master pharmacists with more than 1 year of experience who practice in the city of Varna, in pharmacies serving the population, which have a contract with the National Health Insurance till). The survey includes demographic characteristics, the MBI-HSS(MP) questionnaire, and questions focused on the specific characteristic s of the work environment. Results: 301 master pharmacists met the inclusion criteria, of which 127 participated in the study. 53% have a medium to high level of professional burnout. Pharmacists face the most serious difficulties when processing prescriptions paid by the NHIF, due to frequent changes in legislative requirements and lack of precise instructions. The problems encountered by pharmacists are also due to a large administrative workload and lack of time to provide pharmaceutical care. Conclusion: There is professional burnout among the pharmacists studied. The greatest difficulties are encountered in the processing of prescriptions paid by the NHIF. It is necessary to make a thorough analysis of the working environment’s influence on the level of burnout .