Support and flexibility important for employees with chronic conditions who use medication

People with a chronic condition who use medication, can experience various challenges at work. Part of them finds it difficult to integrate medication use into the workday, which, for some, results in adapting their medication intake. Others suffer from side effects at work, or are treated differently by their colleagues or employer. In order to self-manage this successfully, employees stress the importance of flexibility and support from their employer and colleagues. This is evident from research among members of the Nivel Panel Strong Together, formerly the National Panel for the Chronically Ill and Disabled.

Complex interactions

Although medication use at work is not a problem for many employees, others experience it as more challenging. The extent to which this is challenging is determined by a combination of factors: the type of medication, personal preferences and attitudes, characteristics of the job and the perceived level of support from their colleagues and managers. This combination of factors means that medication use at work is experienced very differently by employees, which requires a tailored approach.

Talk about it or keep it private?

It is important for employers and healthcare professionals to be aware of the potential interaction between work and medication, and deal with this in an understanding manner. Some employees want to discuss the implications with their employer so that the latter can make adjustments and offer support where necessary.  The study also shows that a part of the employees who use medication rather keep this private, although not everyone succeeds in this.

It’s of course very stigmatizing, and that’s something you don’t want. You don’t want to be judged for something you have, but you want to be judged for who you are, or what you do

Male participant, 41 years old

Want to know more?

For the results of this Nivel research, read the entire publication.

About the study

This research is conducted with 18 members of the Nivel Panel Stronger Together (previously the ‘National Panel of the Chronically ill and Disabled’). In interviews, participants from varying backgrounds (regarding health condition, medication types and job types) shared their experiences with combining work participation and medication use.