Written by Amanda Abernathy, CPhT, MBA Beyond Interpersonal Conflict
You’re a brand-new pharmacy technician and it’s time for the final check. The prescription is pro- cessed, the medication is dispensed, the package is labeled, and the product is being reviewed by the pharmacist. Do you remember how that feels? The moment is heavy, waiting and wondering if you completed each step correctly. You feel afraid, your palms are sweaty, your heart rate is elevated. High pressure situations, like the conflict of the final check, trigger the physiological response of “fight or flight” resulting in physical responses like sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension and emotional responses like fear or anger1. The “fight or flight” response protects us in emergencies but can make it more challenging to manage the pressure of daily life.
Conflict is unavoidable in the daily operation of a pharmacy. The types of conflict experienced most often in a pharmacy are intrapersonal conflict and interpersonal conflict. Intrapersonal conflict is the struggle a person experiences within themselves. For example, the brand-new pharmacy technician waiting for the final check of their work. Interper- sonal conflict is the struggle a person experiences with another person. For example, co-workers who disagree about job responsibilities, how to com- plete job tasks, and where tools should be stored. These types of conflict typically arise quickly and resolve in a short amount of time. There are two more types of conflict experienced in the pharmacy: intergroup conflict and interorgani- zational conflict. Intergroup conflict is the struggle
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