The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Transplant Pharmacist Workforce.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented strain on the US healthcare system, greatly impacting transplant centers.

Objective

The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transplant pharmacist workforce.

Methods

A survey was disseminated electronically to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transplant pharmacist workforce. Respondents were asked to give background regarding transplant center, patient, population, and departmental staffing.

Results

There were 67 total respondents from 56 transplant centers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 55% of centers reported stopping non-life saving transplants, and a majority (89%) stopped living donor transplants altogether. The banning of caregivers on-site during education, reduction of bedside education teaching, and cancelling of group teaching classes occurred at 46%, 40%, and 22% of centers, respectively. Consequently, 42% of pharmacists surveyed felt that their confidence in patient and caregiver's understanding of medications had decreased since these changes have been implemented.

Conclusions

Pharmacist perception of patient and caregiver understanding of transplant medications has decreased since before the COVID-19 pandemic. As health systems strategize resource allocation throughout the pandemic, the importance of patient education must be prioritized to sustain and improve transplant outcomes.