Burnout in healthcare is no longer an emerging concern; it’s an urgent crisis. Defined by chronic workplace stress that has not been effectively managed, burnout leads to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness. While it affects all sectors of healthcare, pharmacists – particularly those on the front lines of medication management – are experiencing alarming rates of burnout with serious consequences.
Years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, work-related stress among pharmacists has risen. According to the Pharmaceutical Journal, in 2024, one in four pharmacists still report feeling stressed at work, a statistic that hasn’t changed since September 2021 (18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic).
Pharmacist burnout is more than a workforce issue, it’s a health system issue. It affects mental health, leading to increased anxiety and depression. It deteriorates physical health, resulting in fatigue, insomnia, and frequent illness. And perhaps most critically, it impacts patient care, team performance, and even the financial and operational well-being of healthcare plans and in-house pharmacy teams.
Understanding the root causes of pharmacist burnout
Burnout is defined by Psychology Today as, “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.” The World Health Organization has even categorized burnout as a syndrome characterized by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (or cynicism), and reduced personal accomplishment.
In the pharmacy profession, these symptoms are on the rise. A 2021 study by the National Library of Medicine found that in hospital and health-system settings, up to 70% of pharmacists report experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout. Some of their reasonings for burnout include workflow inefficiencies, workload volume, lack of autonomy, regulatory burdens, and staffing and medication shortages.
These findings reflect a larger trend. The increasing complexity of medication therapy, pressure to deliver exceptional care with limited resources, pharmacy closings, a pandemic, and an expanding list of responsibilities have placed pharmacists at the center of a growing burnout epidemic.
5 key causes of pharmacist burnout
Pharmacist burnout doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it’s the result of stressors that have intensified in recent years. From mounting workloads to emotional exhaustion, today’s pharmacists are navigating more than just prescriptions.
Many are balancing high patient volumes, inadequate staffing, and an ever-growing list of administrative tasks that leave little time for meaningful patient interaction. Add in outdated technology, long hours, and the emotional toll of healthcare delivery, and it’s no wonder burnout rates are climbing. Here are a few key causes of pharmacist burnout:
1. Workload and staffing shortages
Pharmacists are managing more patients with less support. During the pandemic, 62% of pharmacists considered their workloads to have increased. In retail and hospital settings, long shifts and consistent understaffing contribute to constant mental strain. The pressure to fill countless prescriptions per day, monitor medication interactions, and provide patient consultations (often with limited time and personnel) creates a recipe for burnout. And when you consider the number of drugstore closures in recent years, stress levels have only continued to increase.
2. Administrative burden
Maintaining patient records, verifying prescriptions, managing inventory, coordinating schedules, and handling billing responsibilities are just a few of the administrative tasks that eat away at pharmacists' time. These non-clinical responsibilities divert focus from patient care and contribute to a feeling of disconnection from their core purpose.
3. Lack of work-life balance
With extended hours, limited flexibility, and on-call demands, many pharmacists struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Poor sleep quality and low physical activity are associated with longer work hours among pharmacists. Time away from work, which is essential for recovery and well-being, is often sacrificed, leading to chronic stress and exhaustion.
4. Emotional toll of patient care
Pharmacists are not only clinicians, they’re also counselors, educators, and advocates. Managing patient expectations, navigating high-stakes clinical decisions, and coping with medical errors or difficult outcomes can take a heavy emotional toll. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this emotional burden intensified. Pharmacists played a critical role in vaccine education, distribution, and public reassurance, often without the resources or recognition they needed.
5. Technology and automation challenges
While technology should ease a pharmacist's workload, outdated or inefficient software systems often complicate daily workflows. Rather than streamlining tasks, clunky interfaces, and disjointed platforms increase cognitive load and frustration.
The real-world impact of burnout for health plans
Burnout doesn’t just affect pharmacists; it affects entire healthcare systems:
- Decreased patient care quality: Burned-out pharmacists may find it harder to engage meaningfully with patients and as a result, a patient’s health may be negatively impacted. This lack of connection can result in decreased medication adherence, reduced patient satisfaction, increased hospital readmissions, and poorer health outcomes. Additionally, increased fatigue and stress can lead to more clinical errors, placing patient safety at risk.
- In-house team morale suffers: In high-burnout environments like hospitals and drugstores, team dynamics falter. Morale declines, collaboration becomes strained, and turnover increases. This creates a cycle that further burdens the remaining staff.
- Professional disengagement: Persistent burnout can lead to a loss of passion for the profession. Pharmacists may experience feelings of hopelessness or question their career choices altogether. According to the Pharmacy Times in 2024, 42% of pharmacists said they were likely to leave their job within the next two years due to burnout. This number is up from the 36% that was reported in 2022.
- Increased costs for health plans: Pharmacist burnout can lead to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and higher turnover, all of which carry financial implications. More importantly, decreased quality of care and increased medication errors can result in avoidable hospitalizations and higher healthcare costs.
Solutions and strategies to combat pharmacist burnout
Addressing pharmacist burnout requires a collaborative approach. Pharmacists, healthcare organizations, and technology partners all have a role to play in supporting a healthier, more sustainable profession.
For pharmacists
- Self-care and stress management: Incorporate mindfulness, meditation, and exercise into your daily routine. Set boundaries to protect your personal time and lean into stress-reducing techniques that resonate with you.
- Seek professional support: Don’t wait until burnout becomes unmanageable. Talking to a mental health professional, joining peer support groups, or finding a mentor can provide much-needed relief and perspective.
For health plans
- Improve staffing and workflows: Health plans and organizations play a key role in preventing pharmacist burnout by prioritizing adequate staffing and creating a team-based approach to patient care. It is also important to delegate administrative responsibilities where possible.
- Invest in wellness programs: Another way to combat burnout for pharmacists is for work environments to offer mental health resources and flexible scheduling, which can signal a commitment to pharmacist well-being and help retain top talent.
- Advocate for fair compensation and recognition: Recognizing the value of pharmacists both financially and professionally is crucial to retaining skilled professionals and reducing burnout. When a pharmacist feels valued by their employer, their work will reflect that.
- Modernize technology infrastructure: Outdated systems don’t support modern pharmacy care. Implementing smarter, intuitive software platforms is key to reducing administrative burden and restoring clinical focus. That is why we created Alliance – an innovative solution built to support in-house pharmacy teams with the tools they need to thrive in today’s healthcare landscape.
The role of Alliance by Aspen RxHealth in preventing pharmacist burnout
At Aspen RxHealth, we recognize the urgent need for a better way with the inclusion of Alliance, a scalable SaaS platform designed to empower in-house pharmacy teams.
Alliance gives pharmacists the tools they need to succeed:
- Customizable workflows designed for easy delivery of CMS-compliant medication therapy management (MTM)
- Real-time performance reporting to track progress and impact
- Shared member management between internal teams and our nationwide pharmacist community
- A streamlined user experience through BeWell, our web-based platform built for clinical consultations
Whether your team is facing mounting workloads or needs support scaling services, Alliance helps reduce administrative friction and puts pharmacists back in control.
Together, we can build a better pharmacy future
Burnout among pharmacists is a growing issue, one with implications far beyond the individual. It affects patient care, team dynamics, healthcare outcomes, and the future of the profession itself. As an advocate for pharmacists, Aspen RxHealth is committed to supporting solutions that restore balance, reduce stress, and encourage pharmacists to do what they do best: help patients live healthier lives.
If your organization is ready to further strengthen your in-house team, we invite you to learn more about how Alliance can help. Schedule a demo with us today!
