Disagreement and conflict are unavoidable realities common to all working environments, but for pharmacists and pharmacy teams faced with potentially long hours, stretched resources, increasing complexity and high expectations, it does not take much for problems to escalate. This can put patient safety at risk and contributes to stress and burnout.
In this learning episode of The PJ Pod, we explore some of the common underlying causes of conflict in the pharmacy workplace and consider how individuals, whether managers or not, can take practical steps to avoid or resolve conflict situations.
By the end of the episode, you will be able to:
- Understand how pharmacy working conditions and external factors can make conflict within teams more likely;
- Spot early warning signs of conflict in the workplace;
- Use simple strategies to address conflict early and avoid problems growing;
- Understand the importance of a safe, welcoming work environment and what you can do to promote one.
Many thanks to Harpreet Chana, pharmacist and founder of the Mental Wealth Academy; and Melissa Cochrane, psychotherapist and wellbeing development senior manager at Pharmacist Support, for their expert contributions.
The episode was recorded prior to the publication of the the sixth annual ‘RPS Workforce Wellbeing Survey‘ in February 2025. You can read more about the survey results in The Pharmaceutical Journal here.
This programme is presented by Katherine Sole, editor, research and learning, and was produced by Geoff Marsh.
Further resources
Learning articles from The Pharmaceutical Journal
- ‘How to improve cultural competence in pharmacy practice‘;
- ‘Addressing microaggressions to deliver cultural competence in pharmacy‘;
- ‘Approaching difficult situations: how to have challenging conversations‘.
Other resources
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society one-to-one support for members: A support service provided by the RPS where members can go for advice and information on a wide range of topics;
- Pharmacist Support services for those currently or previously registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council;
- Citizen’s Advice: offering confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person;
- Mental Wealth Academy: providing training and coaching services for successful stress management and burnout prevention.
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