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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background/aim: Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians employed in community pharmacies face a considerable risk of workplace violence, which can negatively influence their job satisfaction, productivity, and mental well-being. This study examined the prevalence and consequences of workplace violence in community pharmacies in Ankara through a mixed-methods design integrating cross-sectional survey data with qualitative insights.

Materials and methods: The target population included pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. We examined demographic factors, psychological outcomes, and the nature of violent incidents. Data were obtained from a random sample of 355 community pharmacies using a 39-item survey and the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21), complemented by qualitative interviews with 12 pharmacists.

Results: A total of 242 participants took part in the study: 174 pharmacists (71.9%; median age 46.0 years) and 68 pharmacy technicians (28.1%; median age 35.0 years). Overall, 63.2% reported at least one violent incident (58.0% of pharmacists; 76.5% of pharmacy technicians). Verbal violence emerged as the most prevalent form, with pharmacy technicians reporting significantly higher exposure than pharmacists. Perpetrators were most often patients or their relatives, while broader societal violence and deficiencies within the health system were frequently cited as contributing factors. Many participants refrained from taking legal action, attributing this to professional burnout and the perception of violence as an inherent aspect of their occupation. Findings from the DASS-21 revealed higher anxiety scores among pharmacy technicians compared to pharmacists. Among pharmacists, exposure to workplace violence was paradoxically associated with lower stress and depression scores, a pattern not observed among technicians.

Conclusion: Workplace violence in community pharmacies is prevalent—particularly verbal abuse—and disproportionately impacts pharmacy technicians. Addressing this issue necessitates enhanced training, institutional support, and strengthened security measures, alongside extending white code legal protections to community pharmacies to improve safety and service quality.

Author ORCID Identifier

HİLAL İLBARS: 0000-0002-7832-4158

BERNA TERZİOĞLU BEBİTOĞLU: 0000-0003-4601-7871

SEYHAN HIDIROĞLU: 0000-0001-8656-4613

FATMA DOĞANÇ: 0000-0002-4677-8358

YAĞIZ VAROL: 0009-0007-5692-173X

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.6167

Keywords

community pharmacy, occupational health, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, work safety, Workplace violence

First Page

333

Last Page

343

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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