Prevalence and Characteristics of Burnout among Pharmacists in Primary Care Centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain- A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION- Burnout syndrome is defined as the state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that results from exposure to stressors. It is prevalent among healthcare workers including pharmacists and is associated with significant detrimental effects on the patients, healthcare workers, and healthcare systems. Nonetheless, few studies have assessed the prevalence and characteristics of burnout among pharmacists. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of burnout among pharmacists in governmental primary health care centers in Bahrain. METHODS- A cross-sectional study was conducted in the period between January 2022 and February 2022 and involved all the pharmacists in the primary health care centers in the kingdom of Bahrain. Burnout syndrome was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, a validated tool designed to assess the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment aspects of burnout. RESULTS- A total of 148 pharmacists completed the online questionnaire and were included in the analysis (response rate = 80.4%). The majority of participants were females (n = 130, 87.8%), married (n = 117, 79.1%), and aged between 25 and 35 years (n = 99, 66.9%). Almost 60% (n = 86, 58%) of the pharmacists had high levels of emotional exhaustion, 62 (41.9%) participants reported high levels of depersonalization, and 60.1% (n = 89) of them reported low accomplishment levels. No statistical differences were found between the baseline characteristics of the pharmacists and the aspects of burnout. CONCLUSION- In conclusion, this study revealed an alarmingly high prevalence of burnout syndrome among pharmacists in primary care centers in Bahrain. Evidence-based preventive strategies and interventions to reduce burnout levels among pharmacists are urgently needed.