Lunch breaks, quota bans and more: Ohio’s new rules fight burnout and understaffing

Ohio has introduced six new rules around pharmacists to help battle understaffing and burnout. The rules, which went into effect May 1, were created by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy in response to data it received from pharmacist surveys about stresses and safety concerns. Saffing is a chronic problem among pharmacies in the state, and earlier this year, CVS paid a $1.5 million settlement in fines and fees around understaffing in Ohio. They require all pharmacy employees to get an uninterrupted 30-minute break for all employees working shifts that are six hours long or longer. If another pharmacist isn’t available to cover the pharmacist, they must close for the break. One chain, Giant Eagle, announced it would do just that, with all its pharmacies closing daily between 1:30 and 2 p.m.They also cap shifts at 13 hours and mandate eight off between shifts.Read: An epidemic of job burnout for pharmacist-ownersIt also requires pharmacies to “ensure sufficient personnel are scheduled to work at all times in order to minimize fatigue, distraction, or other conditions which interfere with a pharmacist's ability to practice with reasonable competence and safety.” Staffing levels have to account for not just how many prescriptions are being filled but for other services offered too, such as vaccinations.Pharmacy workers must have a formal system for staff to report concerns around staffing, and owners must act promptly to address those concerns and cannot retaliate against staffers who complain. The rules also ban quotas for ancillary services such as immunizations and refill reminders. On the patient side, pharmacies must dispense medications within three days after receiving a prescription and within five days after receiving automatic refill requests. Finally, pharmacies have to have policies that ensure that pharmacy services cannot be offered safely—for example, if someone calls in sick and there isn’t enough staff, ancillary services or hours are reduced. Read: RxZZZZZ: Sleep solutions for pharmacist burnout

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