As we close out American Pharmacists Month, we highlight the importance of supporting mental health and well-being in the pharmacy. The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, through its WellBeing First Challenge is working to reduce burnout of health care professionals and safeguard their well-being and job satisfaction. The organization envisions a world where seeking mental health services is universally viewed as a sign of strength for health care professionals.
At NABP’s 120th Annual Meeting, Corey Feist, JD, MBA, founder and CEO of The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, discussed the issue of invasive questioning on pharmacist licensing applications and how this creates real or perceived barriers towards seeking mental health services as a medical professional. Many health care workers feel that their licenses could be at risk if they seek mental health care. NABP supports the WellBeing First Challenge because we believe that all health care workers should seek the care they need without fear of losing their license or job.
Why Mental Health Change is Needed for Our Pharmacists
Health care workers, including pharmacy professionals, are in a mental health crisis. According to Centers for Disease Control, 46% of health care workers experienced burnout in 2022, up from 32% in 2018. 44% of health care workers intend to leave their jobs, which has grown from 33% in 2018. Health care workers have higher levels of poor mental health compared to all other types of workers, making it especially imperative for them to be able to access mental health treatment without penalty or stigma. Suicide rates are higher in pharmacists than in the general population, and sadly, workplace problems are the most significant driving factors for mental health crises in pharmacists.
Many organizations agree with Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation that the language surrounding mental health in health care workplaces needs to change, and the United States government agrees as well. In 2023, the Department of Justice found that probing mental health questions included in licensure and employment applications violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Barriers to Mental Health Access
There are many barriers to mental health care access for health care workers, some of which are very tangible, such as threats to licensure, and some of which are perceived, like fear of stigma or appearing “weak” to colleagues or supervisors. Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation identifies 6 known barriers to mental health access for health care workers:
- Licensure (state and specialty boards)
Licensure applications can include invasive questions about a pharmacist’s prior mental health treatments and diagnosis. These questions appear on both state and specialty licensing applications as well as license renewal applications.
- Hospital Credentialing
Similarly invasive questions to the licensure applications appear on hospital credentialing applications.
- Commercial Insurance
Commercial insurance applications also can include lines of questioning on an applicant’s mental health history.
- Malpractice Insurance
Like commercial insurance applications, malpractice insurance applications include overly invasive mental health questions.
- Legal Discovery in Malpractice
Some states do not have confidential protections for those in mental health treatment. In those states, if any health care workers are involved in a lawsuit, their mental health records can be subpoenaed.
- Health Plan Design
Often health care systems require their employees to use only their health services. Health care workers may feel uncomfortable, or afraid of feeling stigmatized, by being forced to see their own coworkers for mental health treatment.
Most likely, there are more than 6 barriers for health care workers in seeking mental health treatment, but these are the major barriers currently identified by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation.
WellBeing First Champion Challenge for Pharmacy Staff Licensing
Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation has created a 3-step process for organizations to assess and remove invasive mental health questions and ask ADA-compliant questions:
- Audit
Audit all your organization’s credentialing applications, addendums, and peer review forms to identify language that could be considered invasive.
- Change
Change your forms to avoid any stigmatizing language around seeking mental health treatment.
- Communicate
Communicate the organizational changes to your workforce and assure them that it is safe to seek mental health care. This is the most important step, as many individuals will still feel cautious about seeking treatment. Be sure to use supportive and uplifting language around mental health and communicate the policy changes clearly.
After your organization’s forms have been altered, refrain from asking probing questions about an applicant’s mental health altogether.
Learn more about Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and the WellBeing Challenge download the toolkit to start helping health care workers access mental health care today.
