Presenting Author: Eugene R. Przespolewski, PharmD, BCOP, DPLA, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
Co-Authors: Alharith Abdel-Arazzaq, University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Buffalo, NY; Sarah Mullin Falls, MS, PhD, and Grazyna Riebandt, PharmD, BCOP, DPLA, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
BACKGROUND: Many hematology-oncology pharmacists have reported high burnout levels for reasons including increased hours worked and administrative requirements in a recently completed survey. This has resulted in challenges in recruiting and retaining hematology-oncology pharmacists in addition to already demanding clinical responsibilities. Oncology PGY-2 residency program directors (OPGY-2 RPDs) are particularly vulnerable with voluminous regulations and administrative requirements to conduct a residency program in addition to clinical responsibilities. Neither the well-being of OPGY-2 RPDs nor the implementation and impact of additional resources have been described.
OBJECTIVES: The goal is to describe the status, structure, support for RPDs, and time requirements of OPGY-2 across the country and to provide a well-being assessment of these RPDs to capture the level of burnout.
METHODS: A 22-question survey was sent to 124 OPGY-2 RPDs from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) residency program directory. OPGY-2 RPDs were asked about their programs, perceptions on workload, time requirements, and a one-time Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). Descriptive statistics were used for demographic questions, resources, incentives, time requirements, and basic assessment of the PFI. Where appropriate, nonparametric tests were used to assess the differences. To identify the program structure factors that promote OPGY-2 RPD professional fulfillment, linear regression was used to predict the Professional Fulfillment Scale measure.
RESULTS: The overall response rate was 45.9%. Most respondents had ≤3 years of experience (61.4%), ≤15 preceptors (66.7%), and ≤2 residents (70.1%). In all, 61.5% of OPGY-2 RPDs had no title-related incentives, but 17.5% had budgeted protected time, 15.7% had financial incentives, and 12.2% had incentives not listed. A total of 73.6% of RPDs felt that they spent ≥5 hours weekly on RPD responsibilities, and 68.4% felt this was not enough time to manage them. Clinically, 43.8% felt they managed responsibilities effectively. In all, 50.8% felt that the ASHP standards did not provide enough time to cover responsibilities, and 70% of OPGY-2 RPDs have considered stepping down within the past 12 months. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) PFI score was 2.6 (SD±0.6), and 35.09% of RPDs reported high professional fulfillment. The mean burnout score was 1.5 (SD±0.7), and 47.37% of RPDs reported high burnout. No specific variable was significantly associated with burnout. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient is –0.4995 (P<.001), suggesting a moderately strong negative correlation between burnout and PFI.
CONCLUSION: Based on self-reporting and PFI scores, there are high levels of burnout among RPDs and a high risk for attrition. OPGY-2 RPDs need more support to run residency programs including ≥5 hours of protected time.
- Golbach AP, McCullough KB, Soefje SA, et al. Evaluation of burnout in a national sample of hematology-oncology pharmacists. JCO Oncol Pract. 2021:18:e1278-e1288.
- Rao KV, Gulbis AM, Mahmoudjafari Z. Assessment of attrition and retention factors in the oncology pharmacy workforce: results of the oncology pharmacy workforce survey. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2022;5:1112-1120.