Oncology pharmacist survey: Understanding task value and professional satisfaction

PurposeRecent publications have explored workload and productivity to improve oncology pharmacy practice. The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacist Association (HOPA) aimed to build upon this research by assessing task valuation.MethodsA web-based survey was fielded from 1/16/25-2/13/25. Eligible respondents were oncology pharmacists reporting experience with tasks related to 3 categories: direct patient care, non-direct patient care, and education/professional development. After validation, the final survey was estimated to take 10 min to complete and included 22 questions assessing valuation of workplace tasks separated into categories.Results676 responses were included. Most respondents completed post-graduate training and were board-certified in oncology. Median years in practice and in current role were 10 years and 4 years, respectively. Direct patient care was the highest ranked task category followed by education/professional development and non-patient care tasks. The most valued tasks by category were communicating with the interdisciplinary team, precepting learners, and creating standardized treatment plans, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression models did not identify any specific variables that significantly impacted results. Tasks associated with lower job satisfaction included facilitating medication access, ensuring compliance, and completing annual competencies.ConclusionWorkforce challenges, including burnout and inadequate metrics, threaten job satisfaction and retention of oncology pharmacists. Identification of tasks valued by oncology pharmacists, coupled with other practice factors such as workload and productivity, provides a more comprehensive picture of the pharmacy workforce landscape. These findings can guide strategic decisions to expand high value services and re-align lower valued tasks, with the ultimate goal of enhancing job satisfaction and improving retention.