Longitudinal analysis of suicides among pharmacists during 2003-2018

BACKGROUND: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and estimates of suicide among health professionals are higher than the general population. High rates of suicide among physicians and nurses have been described previously, but there is a lack of data for suicides completed by pharmacists. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the incidence, means, and characteristics of pharmacist suicides in the United States. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) for the years 2003-2018. The dataset contained all suicides, coded by occupation, reported by medical examiners and law enforcement from 39 states and Washington DC and Puerto Rico. Suicide characteristics were compared between pharmacists and nonpharmacists. Age-adjusted rates were calculated for 2004, 2009, and 2014. RESULTS: During 2003-2018, the NVDRS contained 316 pharmacist suicides compared with 213,146 nonpharmacist suicides. The age-adjusted rates per 100,000 people were 19.6, 20.1, and 18.2 for 2004, 2009 and 2014, respectively. The most common means of suicide was firearm. Associated factors for suicide included job problems, current mental illness treatment, and suicide note. CONCLUSION: Suicide rates among pharmacists are higher than the general population. Future research is needed to evaluate the context of job-related problems to mitigate risk. Encouraging help-seeking behaviors to identify and treat pharmacist depression is warranted.