Violence among Pharmacists and Their Assistants in The Community Pharmacies

Abstract

Introduction: The staffs working in community pharmacies are at high risk of all forms of workplace violence. The studies investigating the prevalence or the psychological impacts of work related violence in community pharmacies are deficient. Aim of work: To estimate the period prevalence (last 12 months) of work-related violence, its types, associated factors and psychological effects among pharmacists/assistants in community pharmacies in Mansoura city. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was done in community pharmacies in Mansoura city. A total of 509 pharmacists/assistants completed the questionnaire. Data was collected using a questionnaire included personal and socio-demographic data, occupational history and history of exposure to any violent incident in the last 12 months. The questionnaire included details of the last violent incident and the subjective response to a violent event, using the Arabic version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Results: The overall prevalence of exposure to any type of violence in the last 12 months was 34.6 %. The prevalence of verbal violence was higher than the prevalence of threat, physicalviolence and bullying (29.7% vs. 11.6%, 10.8% and 9.6%; respectively). The significant independent predictors of any form of workplace violence were the age group from 19 to 40 years, being assistant pharmacist , working in night shifts and having little or moderate/severe worrying about work related violence. Conclusion: The workplace violence was prevalent among working pharmacists / assistants in Mansoura city (in the last 12 months) and the verbal violence was the commonest type. About one third of those exposed to violence had clinically significant IES-R scores indicating havingpost-traumatic stress disorder.