Assessment of the Prevalence of Burnout and Well-Being in Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacists

M. Harris¹, N. Pilch², C. Doligalski³, E. Henricksen⁴, J. Melaragno⁵, A. Lichvar⁶

¹Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC, ²Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, ³University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, ⁴Stanford Healthcare, Stanford, CA, ⁵University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, ⁶UC San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA

Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: 149

Keywords: Quality of life

Topic: Clinical Science » Pharmacy » 30 - Non-Organ Specific: Clinical Pharmacy/Transplant Pharmacotherapy

Session Information

Session Name: Non-Organ Specific: Clinical Pharmacy/Transplant Pharmacotherapy

Session Type: Rapid Fire Oral Abstract

Date: Sunday, June 5, 2022

Session Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm

Presentation Time: 5:30pm-5:40pm

Location: Hynes Room 312

*Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout and well-being among solid organ transplant pharmacists in the United States.

*Methods: A 60-question survey was distributed to transplant pharmacy organization listervs from 2/1/2021 to 03/26/2021. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel (MBI-HHS) with three subscales: depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and reduced personal accomplishment. Well-being was assessed with the Mayo Well-Being Index (WBI). Quality of Life (QOL), extreme fatigue, and likelihood of leaving the job were also measured. Logistic multivariate regression modeling was constructed to identify risk factors for a composite burnout assessment, which included burnout as scored by the MBI-HHS and low well-being by the WBI.

*Results: A total of 230 responses were included in the analysis out of 635 unique individuals (response rate 36.2%). Survey participants had a mean age of 35.7 years (SD 7.1) were predominantly Caucasian (80.4%), female (79.1%), married/ partnered (67.4%), and were within the first 5 years of practice (32.2%) as a clinical pharmacist/specialist (87%). According to the MBI-HHS, 146/230 individuals (63%) met criteria for burnout, with a breakdown of all three subscales in Table 1. Comparing the groups with or without burnout, low quality of life (40.4% vs 9.5%; p < 0.001), extreme fatigue (52.1% vs 19%; p < 0.001), and likelihood of leaving the job (38.5% vs 10.7%; p < 0.001) were more common. The incidence of SOT pharmacists with WBI scores > 5 (decreased well-being) was 26.5% (61/230 responders) with a median score of 3 (IQR 1-5). Among clinical pharmacists, risk factors for burnout included greater than 10 hours per week of clinical duties outside of transplant (OR 2.669, p = 0.021) and extreme fatigue (OR 3.473, p < 0.001).

*Conclusions: Burnout was observed in a majority of survey respondents, which impacts clinical workforce retention and personal well-being. Risk factors for burnout identified among SOT pharmacists in this study may be targets for burnout mitigation and prevention strategies to reduce the impact on individuals and to improve quality of life.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Harris M, Pilch N, Doligalski C, Henricksen E, Melaragno J, Lichvar A. Assessment of the Prevalence of Burnout and Well-Being in Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacists [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/assessment-of-the-prevalence-of-burnout-and-well-being-in-solid-organ-transplant-pharmacists/. Accessed May 18, 2025.

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