Faculty Collaboration Database

Effects of mental demands during dispensing on perceived medication safety and employee well-being: a study of workload in pediatric hospital pharmacies. Res Social Adm Pharm 2010 Dec;6(4):293-306

Date

11/30/2010

Pubmed ID

21111387

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3052977

DOI

10.1016/j.sapharm.2009.10.001

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-77953037636 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   49 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy workload is a modifiable work system factor believed to affect both medication safety outcomes and employee outcomes, such as job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to measure the effect of workload on safety and employee outcomes in 2 pediatric hospitals and to do so using a novel approach to pharmacy workload measurement.

METHODS: Rather than measuring prescription volume or other similar indicators, this study measured the type and intensity of mental demands experienced during the medication dispensing tasks. The effects of external (interruptions, divided attention, and rushing) and internal (concentration and effort) task demands on perceived medication error likelihood, adverse drug event likelihood, job dissatisfaction, and burnout were statistically estimated using multiple linear and logistic regression.

RESULTS: Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported high levels of external and internal mental demands during dispensing. The study supported the hypothesis that external demands (interruptions, divided attention, and rushing) negatively impacted medication safety and employee well-being outcomes. However, as hypothesized, increasing levels of internal demands (concentration and effort) were not associated with greater perceived likelihood of error, adverse drug events, or burnout and even had a positive effect on job satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS: Replicating a prior study in nursing, this study shows that new conceptualizations and measures of workload can generate important new findings about both detrimental and beneficial effects of workload on patient safety and employee well-being. This study discusses what those findings imply for policy, management, and design concerning automation, cognition, and staffing.

Author List

Holden RJ, Patel NR, Scanlon MC, Shalaby TM, Arnold JM, Karsh BT

Author

Matthew C. Scanlon MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Burnout, Professional
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data Collection
Female
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Linear Models
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medication Errors
Middle Aged
Pharmacists
Pharmacy Service, Hospital
Pharmacy Technicians
United States
Workload
Young Adult