School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Level 3, Building 503, 85 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Feb 20;24(1):223. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10591-2.
Professional misconduct has evolved into a worldwide concern, involving various forms and types of behaviours that contribute to unsafe practices. This study aimed to provide insights into the patterns characterising pharmacist misconduct and uncover underlying factors contributing to such instances in New Zealand.
This research examined all cases of pharmacist misconduct sourced from the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT) database in New Zealand since 2004. Characteristics of the sampled pharmacists and cases were extracted, followed by a systematic coding of the observed misconduct issues. Identification of risk factors was accomplished through content analysis techniques, enabling an assessment of their prevalence across various forms of misconduct.
The dataset of pharmacist misconduct cases comprised 58 disciplinary records involving 55 pharmacists. Seven types of misconduct were identified, with the most commonly observed being quality and safety issues related to drug, medication and care, as well as criminal conviction. A total of 13 risk factors were identified and systematically classified into three categories: (1) social, regulatory, and external environmental factors, (2) systematic, organisational, and practical considerations in the pharmacy, and (3) pharmacist individual factors. The most frequently mentioned and far-reaching factors include busyness, heavy workload or distraction; health impairment issues; and life stress or challenges.
The patterns of pharmacist misconduct are complicated, multifaceted, and involve complex interactions among risk factors. Collaborative efforts involving individual pharmacists, professional bodies, responsible authorities, policy-makers, health funders and planners in key areas such as pharmacist workload and well-being are expected to mitigate the occurrence of misconduct. Future research should seek to uncover the origins, manifestations, and underlying relationships of various contributing factors through empirical research with appropriate individuals.
职业操守失范已成为全球性关注的问题，涉及各种形式和类型的行为，这些行为导致了不安全的实践。本研究旨在深入了解导致药师不当行为的模式，并揭示新西兰此类事件的潜在因素。
本研究从新西兰 2004 年以来的健康从业者纪律审裁处（HPDT）数据库中查阅了所有药师不当行为的案例。提取了抽样药师和案例的特征，然后对观察到的不当行为问题进行系统编码。通过内容分析技术确定风险因素，评估其在各种不当行为形式中的普遍性。
药师不当行为案例数据集包含 58 项纪律处分记录，涉及 55 名药师。确定了 7 种不当行为类型，最常见的是与药物、药物和护理相关的质量和安全问题，以及刑事定罪。共确定了 13 个风险因素，并将其系统地分为三类：（1）社会、监管和外部环境因素；（2）药店的系统、组织和实际考虑因素；（3）药师个人因素。最常被提及和影响深远的因素包括忙碌、工作量大或分心；健康受损问题；以及生活压力或挑战。
药师不当行为的模式复杂、多方面，涉及风险因素之间的复杂相互作用。涉及个体药师、专业机构、责任当局、政策制定者、医疗保健资金提供者和规划者在药师工作量和福祉等关键领域的合作努力有望减少不当行为的发生。未来的研究应通过对适当个人的实证研究，努力揭示各种促成因素的起源、表现和潜在关系。
