When leadership feels heavy: Resetting for a new year

January doesn’t usually arrive with fireworks in the pharmacy. There’s no dramatic reset. No quiet pause. The holiday rush fades, but the phones still ring, the queue keeps growing, and the work still matters just as much. I know that in specialty or longterm care pharmacies, it often feels like the pressure never really lets up at all. New admissions, hospital discharges changing complex medication regimens, seasonal outbreaks, tighter timelines, and increasing documentation requirements don’t slow down just because the calendar turns.On the surface, things look “back to normal.” But many pharmacy teams are stepping into the new year carrying something heavier than workload alone. Exhaustion.Across Canada, pharmacy technicians—and the pharmacists they work alongside—are tired in a way that sleep alone doesn’t fix. Not because they don’t care, but because they’ve been holding increasingly complex systems together with fewer staff and growing expectations.Most pharmacy technicians don’t think of themselves as leaders unless they are holding that official title, but watch a typical shift in any pharmacy—especially in longterm care or central-fill pharmacies and it becomes obvious.You’re coordinating automated medication packaging, inventory, contingency cards, wardstock items, stat boxes, managing urgent stat changes, juggling delivery cut-offs, navigating various software systems, ordering specialty meds and billing through various patient support programs, performing medrecs, contacting physicians, coordinating patient care conferences, and fielding calls from nursing units—all while trying to keep patient safety front and centre. You’re training new hires, leading compounding flows, managing continuous quality improvement programs, covering gaps when positions remain unfilled, and adapting to workflows, technologies and regulations that seem to change faster than staffing levels can keep up.That’s leadership, even if it doesn’t come with a title.The challenge is that this kind of leadership usually comes with responsibility, not authority. Technicians often carry accountability without having control over staffing levels, timelines, or system-wide decisions. Over time, that weight adds up—especially when regulated pharmacy staff shortages mean the same people are asked to do more, faster and with zero room for error.What burnout actually looks like (hint: it’s not always obvious)Burnout in pharmacy rarely shows up as a dramatic breaking point. More often, it creeps in quietly.You might notice it in yourself when:You feel emotionally flat instead of stressedYou dread shifts you once felt proud ofYou carry work home in your head long after your shift endsYou feel responsible for everything—even things clearly outside your controlYou’re more irritable or impatient than usualYou second-guess yourself or feel mentally foggyYou feel like no matter how hard you push, the workload never eases.In longterm care or specialty pharmacies, burnout can be amplified by the emotional weight of caring for vulnerable populations, coordinating with everyone in their circle of care, the constant pressure of accuracy, and the knowledge that mistakes carry real consequences for residents.Once you start noticing burnout in yourself, you often begin seeing it in coworkers too. The dependable technician who stops speaking up. The detail-oriented colleague who suddenly seems scattered. The calm one who’s now short-tempered—or very quiet. These aren’t personality changes. They’re signals.The hidden cost of being “the one who handles it”Pharmacy culture often rewards endurance. We praise people for pushing through, staying late, and “just getting it done.” In understaffed environments—especially in LTC—this becomes the unspoken expectation.The cost shows up quietly:Feeling guilty for taking your break when the queue is backed upSaying yes because there’s no one else to askMeasuring your worth by productivity aloneAbsorbing stress from nurses, families, and coworkersFeeling indispensable—and stuck in that role.Over time, a familiar belief settles in: If I don’t do it, it won’t get done. It feels responsible. It feels professional. But it’s also unsustainable. No individual can compensate indefinitely for system-level shortages. Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a predictable response to growing workloads, chronic staffing gaps, and high-stakes work without adequate recovery built in.A gentler kind of New Year resetThis year doesn’t need to be about doing more. For pharmacy professionals, it can be about protecting what already exists—your skills, your professionalism, your compassion, and your health.Here are realistic places to start:Create small but firm boundariesYou don’t need a complete overhaul. Start with micro-boundaries: taking your full break, not checking work messages on days off, or being honest when capacity is exceeded. These small acts matter in environments where “urgent” never seems to end.Notice and name small winsWhen workloads are heavy, progress can feel invisible. Acknowledge the smooth transition to care, the caught errors, the teamwork that got a shipment out on time. These moments remind teams that their effort matters—even when the system feels stretched.Watch for burnout in each otherStaff shortages mean teams rely heavily on one another. Checking in, normalizing hard days, and speaking up when someone seems overwhelmed helps prevent burnout from becoming invisible.Let differences improve systems—not strain relationshipsWhen pressure is high, conflict can rise. Handled well, differing perspectives can actually lead to better workflows and safer systems, especially in complex pharmacy environments.Support growth without overloadProfessional development still matters, but it should be realistic. Choose learning that excites you and supports your role without adding pressure to already full plates.A truth worth carrying into the year aheadYou are human. Your value is not measured by how much workload you absorb, how many gaps you fill, or how quietly you carry stress. Healthy pharmacies—especially those serving complex care or vulnerable populations—require healthy, supported pharmacy professionals.As the new year unfolds, give yourself—and your coworkers—permission to rest without guilt, to speak without apology, and to acknowledge when the system needs more than individual effort can provide.The work still matters. But so do the people doing it.And that may be the most important reset of all.

When leadership feels heavy: Resetting for a new year

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Melissa Murach

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