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.