Assessment of occupational violence towards pharmacists at practice settings in Nigeria

Main Article Content

Keywords

Pharmacists, Pharmacies, Workplace Violence, Aggression, Incidence, Job Satisfaction, Waiting Lists, Cross-Sectional Studies, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Occupational Violence is prevalent among healthcare workers, including pharmacists, and poses a big threat to their job satisfaction, safety, and social wellbeing.


Objective: This study seeks to assess the incidents and factors associated with occupational violence towards pharmacists in Nigeria.


Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists practicing in Nigeria, using an online survey (Google FormTM). Occupational violence was assessed using a validated questionnaire. The survey was conducted and reported based on the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Participants were recruited by sharing the survey link via social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.


Results: A total of 263 respondents returned the online questionnaire, with a completion rate of 99.2%. The prevalence of occupational violence was 92.7% (95% CI, 90 to 96). Violent events occurred among 48.7% of pharmacists with at least six years of experience, and 68.4% of hospital pharmacists. The commonly reported factors associated with the violence include long waiting times in the pharmacy (36.5%), refusal to fulfil aggressor’s demands (22.1%), and counseling/poor communication (21.7%). Events related to verbal abuse were reported among 95% of the participants. The prevalence of violence was significantly higher among hospital pharmacists, compared with those practicing in administration/regulatory, and in community pharmacies (chi-square=10.213 (2); p=0.006). Similarly, physical aggression was higher among hospital pharmacists (chi-square=10.646 (2), p = 0.005).


Conclusions: The prevalence of occupational violence towards pharmacists practicing in Nigeria appeared to be high. Major factors associated with the violence were refusal to fulfil aggressors’ demands and frustrations due to long waiting times at pharmacy. Recommended strategies to slowdown the incidences of violence were improved pharmacists’ workforce, interprofessional harmony, and penalties against perpetrators.

Abstract 2643 | pdf Downloads 757 raw data Downloads 184

References

1. International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP): Pharmacists supporting women and responsible use of medicines: Empowering informal caregivers. Available at: https://www.fip.org/files/fip/publications/Pharmacists-supporting-women-responsible-use-medicines.pdf (accessed Jan 23, 2020).
2. International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP): Strategic Plan2019 to 2024. Available at: https://www.fip.org/file/4369 (accessed Jan 23, 2020).
3. Uzman N, Williams AE, Altiere RJ, Anderson C, Bates I. Implementing FIP’s global pharmaceutical education transformation vision in Sub-Saharan African Countries. Res Soc Adm Pharm. 2020;16(8):1131-1135: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.12.011
4. Abubakar AR, Chedi BAZ, Mohammed KG, Haque M. Drug interaction and its implication in clinical practice and personalized medicine. Natl. J. Physiol. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2015;5(5):345-349. https://doi.org/10.5455/njppp.2015.5.2005201557
5. Jatau AI, Shitu Z, Khalid GM, Yunusa I, Awaisu A. Understanding adverse drug-related emergency department visits: development of a conceptual model through a systematic review. Ther Adv Drug Saf. 2019;10:1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098619852552
6. Khalid GM, Jatau AI, Ibrahim UI, Dungus FM, Shity Z, Sha'aban A, Burji SL. Antibiotics self-medication among undergraduate pharmacy students in Northern Nigeria. Med Access Point Care. 2019;1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399202619846847
7. Federal Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria, National Population Commission. National Population Estimates 2006–2016. Available at: http://nigerianstat.gov.ng/elibrary (assessed Sep 17, 2020).
8. Ekpenyong A, Udoh A, Kpokiri E, Bates I. An analysis of pharmacy workforce capacity in Nigeria. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2018;11:20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-018-0147-9
9. World Health Organization (WHO): Density of pharmacists (total number per 10 000 population, latest available year). Available at: https://www.who.int/gho/health_workforce/pharmacists_density/en/ (assessed Sep 17, 2020).
10. World Health Organization (WHO): Violence against health workers. Available at: https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/workplace/en/ (accessed Jan 23, 2020).
11. Peek-Asa C, Howard J, Vargas L, Kraus JF. Incidence of non-fatal workplace assault injuries determined from employer's reports in California. J Occup Environ Med. 1997;39(1):44-50. https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-199701000-00009
12. Pompeii LA, Schoenfisch AL, Lipscomb HJ, Dement JM, Smith CD, Upadhyaya M. Physical assault, physical threat, and verbal abuse perpetrated against hospital workers by patients or visitors in six U.S. hospitals. Am J Ind Med. 2015;58(11):1194-1204. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22489
13. Ferri P, Silvestri M, Artoni C, Di Lorenzo R. Workplace violence in different settings and among various health professionals in an Italian general hospital: a cross-sectional study. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2016;9:263-275. Published 2016 Sep 23. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s114870
14. Magnavita N, Heponiemi T. Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012;12:108. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-108
15. FitzGerald D, Reid A. Frequency and consequences of violence in community pharmacies in Ireland. Occup Med (Lond). 2012;62(8):632-637. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqs154
16. Peterson GM, Tan SI, Jackson SL, Naunton M. Violence in community pharmacy in Australia: incidence and implications. Int J Clin Pharm. 2011;33(2):264-272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-011-9492-3
17. Naing L, Winn T, Rusli B. Practical issues in calculating the sample size for prevalence studies. Arch Orofacial Sci. 2006;1:9-14.
18. Eysenbach G. Improving the quality of Web surveys: the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) [published correction appears in doi:10.2196/jmir.2042]. J Med Internet Res. 2004;6(3):e34. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6.3.e34
19. Kang H. The prevention and handling of the missing data. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2013;64(5):402-406. https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2013.64.5.402
20. Ahmad OB, Boschi-Pinto C, Lopez AD, Murray CJL, Lozano R, Inoue M. Age standardization of rates: a new WHO standard. Geneva: WHO 2001.
21. Nelson R. Tackling violence against health-care workers. Lancet. 2014;383(9926):1373-1374. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60658-9
22. Al-Turki N, Afify AA, AlAteeq M. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2016;9:257-266. https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s105407
23. Yenealem DG, Woldegebriel MK, Olana AT, Mekonnen TH. Violence at work: determinants & prevalence among health care workers, northwest Ethiopia: an institutional based cross sectional study. Ann Occup Environ Med. 2019;31:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-019-0288-6
24. Alharthy N, Mutairi MA, Alsahli A, Alshehri A, Almatrafi A, Mahah A, Alswailem AK, Phiulip W, Qureshi S. Workplace violence among emergency medical services workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Hosp Adm. 2017;6(3):26-32. https://doi.org/10.5430/jha.v6n3p26
25. Algwaiz WM, Alghanim SA. Violence exposure among health care professionals in Saudi public hospitals. A preliminary investigation. Saudi Med J. 2012;33(1):76-82.
26. Samir N, Mohamed R, Moustafa E, Abou Saif H. Nurses' attitudes and reactions to workplace violence in obstetrics and gynaecology departments in Cairo hospitals. East Mediterr Health J. 2012;18(3):198-204. https://doi.org/10.26719/2012.18.3.198
27. Talas MS, Kocaöz S, Akgüç S. A survey of violence against staff working in the emergency department in ankara, Turkey. Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci). 2011;5(4):197-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2011.11.001
28. Behnam M, Tillotson RD, Davis SM, Hobbs GR. Violence in the emergency department: a national survey of emergency medicine residents and attending physicians. J Emerg Med. 2011;40(5):565-579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2009.11.007
29. Hajaj AM. Violence against nurses in the workplace. Middle East J Nurs. 2014;7(3):20-26.
30. Hogarth KM, Beattie J, Morphet J. Nurses' attitudes towards the reporting of violence in the emergency department. Australas Emerg Nurs J. 2016;19(2):75-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aenj.2015.03.006
31. Yee KC, De Marco M, Salahudeen MS, Peterson GM, Thomas J, Naunton M, Kosari S. Pharmacists as a source of advice on medication use for athletes. Pharmacy. 2020;8:10. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8010010
32. Steenhof N. Adaptive expertise in continuing pharmacy professional development. Pharmacy. 2020;8:1–6. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8010021