Pharmacy-faculty work-life balance and career satisfaction: Comparison of national survey results from 2012 and 2018.

Background: Changes in demographics and composition of pharmacy faculty, along with faculty perceived stress, work-life balance and career satisfaction have yet to be fully documented. Objective: To compare recent results from a national survey of work-life balance and career satisfaction of United States (U.S.) pharmacy faculty with results obtained from a similar survey from 2012. Methods: A 46-item anonymous survey administered via Qualtrics (Provo, UT) was sent to members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in 2018. Information regarding demographics, stress, work-life balance, career satisfaction and intent to leave academia was collected. Although not part of the previous survey, participant information related to bullying and abuse in the pharmacy academic work was also gathered. While actual p-values are reported for all comparisons, a more conservative p-value of 0.01 was chosen a priori to indicate significance as multiple comparisons were made. Results: A total of 1090 pharmacy faculty completed the survey, comparable to the number obtained in 2012 (n = 811). Overall response rates were similar for both years. The majority of pharmacy faculty in 2018 were female, white, married or with partner, worked in a pharmacy practice department and for a public institution. Notable differences between surveys included an increase in females, more associate professors and an increase in non-white faculty in 2018, relative to 2012. Stress, as measured by mean Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores was also significantly higher in 2018 (16.0 ± 6.6 vs. 13.5 ± 6.7, p < 0.01) relative to 2012. Faculty from 2018 were significantly less likely to report an intention to remain in academia (61.8% vs 86.3%, p < 0.01), relative to 2012. A sizable number of pharmacy faculty surveyed in 2018 also reported observing or experiencing hostility in the workplace, which included either bullying or verbal or physical abuse. Conclusions: The makeup of pharmacy educators has evolved quickly over the last several years to comprise more female and associate professors who work within a pharmacy practice department. Also noteworthy is the significant increase in self-reported stress over the six-year timeframe. The direct implications of these findings are unknown but suggest that pharmacy academia is maturing in rank and changing to reflect the current pharmacy workforce (i.e., more females and additional clinical practice roles). Increases in responsibility likely accompany these maturing roles and may, along with other factors, contribute to the observed changes in the reported stress levels among faculty. Further research is called for regarding the reported hostility in pharmacy academic workplace and dovetails with concurrent work being done on citizenship and organizational citizenship behavior among pharmacy faculty. Findings of the study may aid pharmacy school administrators and stakeholders with plans to recruit, develop and retain faculty.

Differences in Career Satisfaction, Work-life Balance, and Stress by Gender in a National Survey of Pharmacy Faculty.

INTRODUCTION: The percentage of women pharmacy students and pharmacy faculty has greatly increased over the last 40 years. However, it is not known whether gender differences exist in terms of career satisfaction, work-life balance, and stress in the pharmacy academia workplace. METHODS: Results from a national web-based survey administered to American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) members were utilized. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare differences among faculty according to gender (men vs women). A series of multivariate models controlling for demographic and other faculty and school-level factors were created to explore the impact of gender on satisfaction with current position, satisfaction with work-life balance, and perceived stress. RESULTS: Among the 802 survey respondents, 457 (57.0%) women were more likely to be younger, hold a lower academic rank, and be in a pharmacy practice department, relative to 345 (43.0%) men. In adjusted results, men pharmacy faculty were more likely to report being extremely satisfied with their current job, more likely to report being extremely satisfied with their work-life balance, and score lower on a standardized stress measure relative to women. CONCLUSION: While primarily descriptive, the results suggest women pharmacy faculty in the United States are less satisfied with their current academic position, less satisfied with their current work-life balance, and have higher stress levels compared to men even after controlling for age, academic rank, and department (along with other factors). Further research is needed to explore and address causes of the observed gender-related differences among pharmacy faculty.

The impact of work-life balance on intention to stay in academia: Results from a national survey of pharmacy faculty.

PURPOSE: Border-Crossing theory suggests work-life balance and career satisfaction are inter-related and disappointment in work-life balance may predict changes in one's career path. Application of this theory to health profession faculty is plausible but has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to examine factors related to reported career change intention among United States pharmacy school faculty and to determine if Border-Crossing theory fits these observations. METHODS: Results from a national web-based survey administered via Qualtrics® to American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) members were utilized. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare differences among faculty stating an intention to stay or leave academia. A logistic multivariate model was used to determine if work-life balance remains significant when controlling for other variables and if survey results support the Border-Crossing theory. RESULTS: Nearly all (seven hundred of 811 responders, or 86.3%) stated a desire to stay in academia. Faculty with higher work-life balance were more likely to report an intent to remain in academia. Male, older, full-professor and non-pharmacy practice faculty (social or administrative science, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and others) were more likely to state an intention to remain in academia relative to their counterparts. Lower stress, as measured by the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores, was seen among faculty stating a desire to remain in academia. Work-life balance remained significantly inversely related to career change intention after controlling for all other factors. CONCLUSION: A significant factor related to pharmacy faculty's stated intention to remain in academia was work-life balance. Other factors such as gender, age, rank, stress level and department may also play a role. These results support the application of the Border-Crossing theory in health profession faculty and may provide pharmacy school administrators and stakeholders with insight to foster faculty retention and decrease faculty turnover.

Survey of career satisfaction, lifestyle, and stress levels among pharmacy school faculty.

PURPOSE: U.S. pharmacy school faculty were surveyed to assess their career satisfaction, lifestyle, and stress levels. METHODS: A 48-item survey, administered through Qualtrics (Provo, UT), was sent to current members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and included questions regarding respondents' academic institution and appointment status; lifestyle traits; career satisfaction; work-life balance; neurologic and psychiatric diagnoses; use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco; and stress levels. RESULTS: of the 4787 faculty invited to participate in the survey, 811 usable surveys were collected (16.9% response rate). Nearly all respondents (95.0%) reported working 40 or more hours per week. The majority had an average daily one-way commute of less than 30 minutes (64.2%), slept 5.5-7.5 hours per night (74.8%), and exercised for no more than 120 minutes per week (61.8%). A majority of respondents (63.7%) reported being very or extremely satisfied with their current position in academia. Only 36.9% reported being very or extremely satisfied with their work-life balance. Mean perceived stress scores were near those found in the general adult population. Although most respondents reported seeing a primary care provider and dentist annually, other findings regarding preventive health measures were not as encouraging. CONCLUSION: A survey of pharmacy faculty in the United States revealed high levels of job satisfaction among respondents, but lower levels of satisfaction with work-life balance and comparable levels of stress to the general population were found. Administrators and stakeholders should explore options to improve lifestyle factors to decrease potential burnout among faculty.

Characteristics and Behaviors of Older Male Anabolic Steroid Users.

OBJECTIVE: To compare and contrast the characteristics of 2 groups of men ≥40 years old: reported anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) users and nonusers. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Thirty-eight online fitness, weight lifting, bodybuilding, and steroid Web sites. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 67 male AAS users and 76 male nonusers ≥40 years old. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURED: Demographics, utilization of AAS and other performance-enhancing agents (PEAs), exercise patterns, history of illicit drugs and alcohol use, and psychiatric traits/diagnoses. RESULTS: The majority of AAS users ≥40 years old were caucasian (92.5%), heterosexual (97.0%), and classified themselves as recreational exercisers (79.1%). AAS users took more PEAs (11.5 ± 5.6 vs 4.6 ± 2.7; P < .001), were more likely to binge drink (47.8% vs 29.0%; P = .025), report heavy alcohol use (21.0% vs 7.9%; P = .031), meet criteria for substance dependence disorder (27.4% vs 4.0%; P < .001), and report an anxiety disorder diagnosis (12.0% vs 2.6%; P = .046) than nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: AAS misuse is prevalent among older men and is associated with polypharmacy, more aggressive alcohol use, and a higher incidence of substance dependence and anxiety disorders compared to nonusers. This information may help clinicians and researchers identify and develop appropriate intervention strategies for AAS abuse among older men.

Efavirenz plasma concentrations and cytochrome 2B6 polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND: Interpatient variability in efavirenz concentrations may be due to CYP2B6 genetic polymorphisms. Efavirenz concentration and pharmacogenomic data are scarce in Latino patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the difference in trough and midpoint efavirenz plasma concentrations between HIV-positive Latino and white patients. In addition, this study evaluated the association between efavirenz concentrations and CYP2B6 polymorphisms in Latino and white HIV-positive subjects. METHODS: This pilot study included 10 Latinos and 10 whites. Two efavirenz blood concentrations were determined: a trough and a midpoint. CYP2B6 genetic polymorphisms were analyzed at the 516 (G to T) and 785 (A to G) codons. The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine whether efavirenz concentrations varied with ethnicity. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine whether efavirenz concentrations varied with CYP2B6 genetic polymorphisms. Efavirenz concentrations were expressed as medians (minimum, maximum). RESULTS: Midpoint concentrations were 1.58 µg/mL (1.36, 6.02) and 3.14 µg/mL (1.74, 7.72) for whites and Latinos, respectively (p < 0.05). Trough concentrations did not vary as a function of ethnicity. Ten percent of Latinos and whites tested positive for homozygous variants of CYP2B6-516 and CYP2B6-785. One white subject tested positive for the homozygous variant of CYP2B6-1459. Trough concentrations for 516TT, 516GT, and 516GG (wild type) were 5.13 µg/mL (4.13, 6.12), 2.13 µg/mL (1.33, 3.37), and 1.44 µg/mL (0.59, 2.92), respectively (p < 0.05). Trough concentrations for 785GG, 785AG, and 785AA (wild type) were 5.12 µg/mL (4.13, 6.12), 1.98 µg/mL (1.33, 3.37), and 1.27 µg/mL (0.59, 2.92), respectively (p < 0.05). None of the patients took concomitant medications that impacted CYP2B6 metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Trough efavirenz concentrations were significantly higher in patients with the 785 (A to G) and 516 (G to T) variants. Midpoint efavirenz concentrations in Latinos were significantly higher than those of whites.