Burnout among pharmacists in Tunisia during COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Both public and private sector pharmacists were instrumental in containing this health crisis in Tunisia. The high workload had a considerable impact on their mental health during the outbreak of the Corona Virus. Objective(s) This study aims to assess burnout and the psychological toll of the pandemic among pharmacists in Tunisia during covid-19. Method(s) 258 Tunisian pharmacists working in the public and private sector participated in a questionnaire. Burnout was assessed by the Maslach burnout scale. Regression analysis was used to assess the impact of the pandemic on Tunisian pharmacists. Result(s) 80% of the respondents were women. Participants ranged in age from 22 to 62, 60% were married, 57% had at least one child, and 42% had been working for less than five years. The burnout scale revealed 76% burnout among them. Univariate linear regression showed that female gender (p = 0.014 <0.05) was associated with the development of burnout. Conclusion(s) The considerable prevalence of burnout among pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia can be attributed to the enormous and overwhelming responsibilities that any health care worker endured.