Managing Conflict: A Guide for the Pharmacy Manager

The nature of conflict in community pharmacy - A pilot study of pharmacists' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes that disrupted the status quo of society. As a result, the level of conflict in community pharmacy has increased significantly. With existing conflict research more focused on the management of conflict, it is important to direct attention towards understanding the nature of conflict. This understanding will allow for informed resources to be developed to guide practice, decreasing the occurrence of and negative effects of conflict.

OBJECTIVE

This research explored experiences of pharmacists working in community pharmacies, to identify the occurrence and nature of conflicts which may have been motivated by changes resulting directly or indirectly from the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide directions for future research into the nature of conflict.

METHOD

Person-to-person semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Transcripts were analysed using inductive reasoning to identify themes.

RESULTS

Thirteen pharmacists agreed to participate in this study and 9 were interviewed. Analysis revealed 7 themes that described the causes, contributors, management, outcome, and essence of experienced conflict. A model that incorporated existing theory and themes derived from this study was developed to facilitate understanding of the nature of conflict in community pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Conflict in community pharmacy settings follows a defined model with multiple interrelated themes. Guidance from this model may assist pharmacists in reducing occurrences of dysfunctional conflicts during their practice.

A Survey of Arizona Pharmacists to Identify Opportunities to Enhance Pharmacists' Competitiveness in a Tightening Labor Market

BACKGROUND

The pharmacy profession has experienced dramatic shifts in scopes of practice, services offered, and employment opportunities over the last couple decades. At the same time, the number of students graduating from pharmacy school each year has steadily increased. The combined effect of these factors is a tightening labor market. Identification of potential knowledge and skill deficits in the applicant pool will create opportunity for pharmacists to tailor their personal development and educators to design content to address contemporary needs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the current pharmacist pool meets employment needs in Arizona with respect to specific skills and knowledge.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional survey design, Arizona licensed pharmacists were asked to provide their perspective of the knowledge and skills of candidates for pharmacist positions within 8 skill & knowledge domains. Descriptive statistics were used for respondents' characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression was used for association between respondent characteristics and responses. Free responses were assessed using a qualitative thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Among 685 respondents, 88% were employed, 48% had precepting experience, and 44% were involved with hiring. The majority were from chain community pharmacies (33%) and inpatient settings (22%). Management and conflict resolution skills were reported as lacking by 35% and 28% of respondents respectively; 24% reported insufficient compounding knowledge.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest knowledge deficits in management, conflict resolution, and compounding. This information can be used for career planning and for educational program development or curricular enhancements. Similar studies in other regions will provide data on national needs.