Pharmacy Leaders Can Design Effective Work From Home Programs

A case study from investigators at Emory University Hospital examining the efficacy of long-term work from home (WFH) programs, presented at ASHP Midyear 2021, found that pharmacy leaders can be equipped to make effective decisions to support a successful work experience, regardless of work setting.

The investigators said that guides to managing remote teams using collaboration technology such as Zoom, maintaining a safe work environment, and managing any safety concerns can be successfully provided by managers in the process of implementing future WFH programs.

According to the investigators, discussions with pharmacy leaders and staff show increased employee engagement and productivity among those working from home. For this reason, though the majority of teams need to remain on-campus to provide patient care and support services, they felt it was necessary for pharmacy leaders to evaluate a formalized WFH program for eligible employees.

During Spring 2021, leaders worked on a department basis with employees to determine which of 3 potential work options were available and appropriate. These included on-campus full-time, from home part-time and on-campus part-time, and from home full-time. Implementation tools and resources included guides, FAQs, safety resources, policies, and formal agreements.

Further, a WFH Workbook—an interactive planner containing communication and expectation planning—as well as a technology assessment and a Work Unit Suitability Tool were developed to determine which category was appropriate for a given job.

Ultimately, using the tools and instruction documentation provided by the human resources department of the health system studied, the pharmacy team assigned all inpatient staff to 1 of 2 designations. Individuals were either on-campus full time or on a hybrid schedule working from home part-time and being on-campus part-time.

REFERENCE

Scott A. Planning for long-term work from home programs. Presented at: ASHP Midyear 2021. Accessed December 2, 2021.