Pharmacists,

Since we canceled the planned January pharmacist meetings due to the COVID surge, I thought I would give an update on our current status with shift enhancement and pilots aimed at embedding more shift equity into the schedule. Here are a few notes:

1. We are continuing with the Friday pilot (treating Fridays on second shift like a weekend) and the 7on/7off ED position...feedback has been good, but please let me know if you have any input on this pilot

2. A pilot to determine the optimal number of UB pharmacists on second shift will begin 01/31/22

• Two pharmacists will be removed from second shift UB coverage
• First-shift UB coverage will remain the same during the first 2 weeks of the pilot (with the exception of overlap hours); central and PSP coverage on second shift will also remain the same during this pilot

3. When this pilot begins 01/31/22, first shift impact will include:

• No overlap from 1230-1345 and 1430-1530

• Day shift clinical specialists/UBs should limit consults for second shift to those that are absolutely necessary  (ex: pending levels)      

• UBs should contact the clinical specialist on their team for assistance with consult load as needed
• We will contact pharmacists regularly to determine if the pilots are working and what tweaks may be needed
• Please note that this may result in a short-term small increase in first shift consult workload during this time, but if successful, will ultimately result in more first shift UB positions and fewer consults per pharmacist

4. Tentatively, beginning Feb 21 or 28, the 2 pharmacists moved from 2nd shift will be used to deploy 7 total UB pharmacists on day shift

• Unit coverage will be divided among these 7 pharmacists to determine the impact of this potential change
• There may be other pilots undertaken while this pilot continues
• More details will come in the following weeks

5. A suggested pilot for the near future involves determining whether or not it is feasible for our Main pharmacists (UB, Central, PSP, Clin Spec) to work every 4th weekend

• Tentative plans are to pilot every fourth weekend beginning in late Spring 2022 (NOTE: this is a tentative date and subject to change based on various issues)
• This will, of course, further reduce the number of pharmacists on each weekend shift
• Regular follow-up will determine safety and feasibility 

I hope this updates everyone on the pilots we have in place and planned for the near future. We ask that you be patient, communicate well, and give constructive feedback (especially if you feel workload is unsafe or unbalanced) to your manager, supervisor, lead, or directly to me. Also, please attend one of the pharmacist meetings Feb 17, 18, or 23 (please watch for a calendar invitation soon and accept one of the meetings).

I look forward to working with each of you as we determine the best pharmacist model for optimal patient care and work-life balance. You are welcome to contact me if you have questions or if any of this information is unclear. Please note that all time lines are tentative (goals, not deadlines) and we will have adequate time for analysis of outcomes before we proceed to another pilot.