Every sector of pharmacy is stressed and doing more with less. Burnout, a process that begins with high and persistent levels of stress, can lead one to feel irritable, cynical, and disengaged. APhA is the leading organization caring about pharmacists in all practice settings. The organization is addressing the well-being and resiliency of pharmacists and pharmacy personnel by broadening the scope of current initiatives and creating an enduring campaign. APhA’s goal is to ensure well-being for pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmaceutical scientists and, ultimately, their patients.

“Though pharmacist well-being has always been at the heart of APhA’s mission, it was the passionate outcry of our members during the APhA2018 House of Delegates that inspired us to focus on the concept of ‘care.’ Pharmacists by nature take care of people and want to make a difference in the health of their patients and community, and we want to ensure that someone is taking care of pharmacists so they can provide quality care to their patients. APhA is here for you,” said APhA Executive Vice President and CEO Thomas E. Menighan, BSPharm, MBA, ScD (Hon), FAPhA.

As a result, APhA’s Board of Trustees has approved the APhA Statement on Commitment to the Well-Being and Resiliency of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Personnel and signed on as a Network Organization within the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. According to NAM, clinician well-being improves patient–clinician relationships, a high-functioning care team, and an engaged and effective workforce.

These are two significant steps toward preserving the well-being and resiliency of all pharmacy personnel. And it’s one of many activities APhA is undertaking to ensure pharmacists can practice within the full scope of their education and training to better assist their patients. “We are tackling well-being and resiliency head-on with a variety of tactics. These span from work on provider status recognition, prior authorization, and providing networking/mentoring opportunities to the in-person education programming at the 2019 Annual Meeting, our work supporting and developing pharmacy technicians, discussions with employers and payers, and more,” said Menighan. “Our goal is to enhance pharmacists’ ability to provide care. That can’t happen if they aren’t being cared for themselves.”

As the largest, oldest, and most diverse pharmacy organization in America, APhA is well positioned to unite all of pharmacy in addressing burnout, improving work–life balance, and providing support on issues of well-being and resiliency. We are committed to collaborating with our members and partners on this far-reaching initiative, with information, discussions and resources occurring over the upcoming year.