Pharmacy U presenter Zubin Austin: "Rage is all the rage: Dealing with conflict and hostility in practice"

Zubin Austin will be presenting at Pharmacy U Toronto on April 1, 2023

Why on earth would any pharmacist want to get up early on a Saturday morning to attend a breakfast workshop focused on conflict?

Isn't conflict precisely what many of us would rather avoid over a weekend breakfast? Of course, the reality is that, as a pharmacist, conflict is unavoidable. Whether it is disagreements with co-workers, arguments with other health care professionals, or dealing with uncivil or rude customers, the reality is that conflict is increasingly common. 

Equally, fatigue with or fear of dealing with conflict is one of the major drivers for pharmacists to leave the profession. It will be no surprise to most pharmacists that conflict is one of the leading triggers for occupational stress and burnout that can compromise quality of care, increase rates of errors, and significantly contribute to demoralization of the workforce.

What may be more surprising is the productive ways in which conflict can actually improve things – if it can be effectively managed. This breakfast workshop session will help pharmacists think about conflict in new ways by reflecting on their own approach to managing, de-escalating, and dealing with conflicts in practice. At the core of this workshop will be an exercise to help pharmacists self-assess their own conflict management style as a way of identifying opportunities to be more productive and effective – and less emotionally invested – in difficult conversations and experiences. 

Using tools such as root cause analysis, and through discussions with colleagues and peers, greater self confidence in having the skills necessary to effectively manage conflicts should provide workshop participants with the knowledge and motivation needed to support themselves and their practice. Join us on Saturday, April 1^st at 730 a.m. to learn more about yourself, conflict management, and what you can do to better manage difficult situations, conversations, and people.

Zubin Austin, BScPhm, MBA, MISc, Ph.D., FCAHS is Professor and Koffler Research Chair at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation – Temerty School of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada. His research focuses on the professional and personal development of the health workforce. 

Zubin Austin will be presenting at Pharmacy U Toronto on April 1, 2023