I just read an article that lists 8 jobs that are characteristic of high stress, and a feeling of indignation has slowly started to build.  I am pretty sure that every pharmacist that reads the article will start to feel the same way. Why are pharmacists not listed among the physicians and nurses as one of the most stressful professions out there?  They may not deal with life and death situations on a regular basis like doctors and nurses do (with an exception of critical care pharmacists), but they are equally exposed to the stressful working conditions.  Just like the physicians, the pharmacists possess a tremendous wealth of medical and drug knowledge, and in most cases they don't have a luxury of looking up the information in an encyclopedia and are expected to answer drug information questions right on the spot (whether it is being addressed by public or health professionals).  Just like doctors, the pharmacists are facing an  increasing danger of malpractice lawsuits due to an overwhelming amount of new pharmacy law regulations as well as high prescription volumes imposed by big box retailers. Here is a no brainer. Retail pharmacists have to work long hours with few or no breaks (one of the numerous reasons why I no longer work in retail). Even the pharmacists that are not in retail may be facing high stress. Pharmacists who practice in LTC, home infusion, or hospitals do not always have regular business hours,  and they may work on little sleep and take on-calls on their days off.  I wonder what is everyone's stance on this article, especially the pharmacists that practice in a different field of the profession, other than retail.

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