Risk of musculoskeletal disorders in a pharmacy unit: a case study from Kuala Pilah health clinic

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are prevalent among pharmacy workers due to suboptimal ergonomic conditions. However, research on this issue in low-income and middle-income countries remains limited. This study aimed to assess ergonomic risks among workers in a pharmacy unit within a primary health clinic in Malaysia. Hazard identification of high-demand tasks was conducted. Workers were interviewed to identify MSD symptoms using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Initial ergonomic risk assessments were conducted for detection of ergonomic risk factors. The risk factors were further evaluated using advanced ergonomic risk assessment tools, such as the Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART), Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). The high-demand tasks identified were data entry, pre-packing of medicine tablets, and pre-packing of cough syrups. Significant ergonomic risks were found, particularly in tasks involving data entry and pre-packing of cough syrups. Data entry had high ROSA scores, indicating strain from poor workstation setups. The syrup packaging task had high REBA scores, highlighting the impact of awkward postures and prolonged standing. The medicine tablet packing task received a medium ART score, suggesting that continuous packing contributes to cumulative strain. The study highlights significant ergonomic risks for pharmacy workers, particularly from awkward postures and prolonged standing. Ergonomic improvements, such as workstation optimization and task rotation, are crucial to prevent MSDs. Further research and interventions are recommended to mitigate these risks and enhance occupational health in similar settings.