Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38523405›Full record

ArticleInquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing

Unmasking the Unrecognized: Exploring Registered Pharmacy Technicians' Stressors During COVID-19 Through a Demands-Resources Inquiry and Looking Ahead.

Ayesha Khan, Patricia Nicole Dignos, Andrew Papadopoulos, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Myuri Sivanthan, Basem Gohar

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ayesha KhanUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Patricia Nicole DignosUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Andrew PapadopoulosUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Behdin Nowrouzi-KiaUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5586-4282
Myuri SivanthanUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Basem GoharUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8131-1190

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Canadian registered pharmacy technicians (RPTs) were vital in supporting pharmacy operations during the pandemic. However, they have received little attention during or pre-pandemic. This study aimed to identify and understand the stressors experienced by Canadian RPTs during the pandemic and gain insights on lessons learned to help improve the profession. Through a descriptive qualitative design, virtual semi-structured focus groups were conducted with RPTs who were recruited through various sampling methods across Canada. Data were inductively analyzed and then deductively; themes were categorized using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. We reached data saturation after 4 focus group sessions with a total of 16 participants. As per the JD-R model, job demands included: (1) increased work volume and hours to meet patient demand; (2) drug shortages and managing prescriptions increased due to influx of orders coinciding with restricted access to medications; (3) fear of the unknown nature of COVID-19 met with frequent change in practices due to protocol changes and ineffective communication; and, (4) the pandemic introduced several factors leading to increased staff shortages. Themes pertaining to resources included: (1) poor incentives and limited access to well-being resources; (2) limited personal protective equipment delaying work operations; (3) and a general lack of knowledge or appreciation of the profession impacting work morale. Lessons learned from the pandemic were also provided. Overall, our findings revealed an imbalance where RPTs experienced high job demands with limited resources. Improved leadership within pharmacies, including improved communication between team members, is required. Furthermore, efforts to highlight and recognize the work of RPTs to the public is important to help improve enrollment, especially with their recent scope of practice expansion.

Indexed as

COVID-19Occupational StressPharmaceutical ServicesCanadaHumansPharmacy TechniciansCanadahealthcarejob demands-resources modellessons learnedpandemicqualitativeregistered pharmacy techniciansstressors

Identifiers

PMID38523405
PMCPMC10962027

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.