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Are we ready for change?

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Are we ready for change?

We’ve been reading about changes to pharmacy for a considerable length of time now, and these changes will happen – whether we like it or not. However, says Joanne Taylor, the question remains as to how we deal with them

As these changes come into play, will we dig in our heels and stay as we always have been or will we evolve to meet some of the challenges ahead? How do we deal with this individually, as a team or even as a company? How do we get teams engaged to deliver what we want to our patients?

To enable change, everyone has to be on board. Change management is complex but easily achieved providing everyone understands the reasons for the change and the benefits it may bring. This requires communication and ongoing dialogue.

Now this is where I make a confession. I am not good with change. I like my own routine; I like to know where I am working and what I will be doing. I like to have clear processes and an apparent end result with positive outcomes. I am no good with vague possibilities and open options. Any change is unsettling and the current shift in pharmacy can make everyone feel a little insecure, to say the least. So what can companies do to improve team morale and help ease the change process?

Managers and leaders must embrace the new approaches first and they themselves need to be clear on the objectives. Management must also understand that every company is made up of people who are going through worrying times and therefore need support. This means that communicating the ‘message’ is vital.

It’s easy for the people at the top to make the mistake of thinking that everyone understands the issues and the need to change, but this is not always the case. The best change programmes reinforce key messages through regular, well-timed instruction that is both encouraging and realistic. It’s essential that communication goes both ways and provides everyone with the correct information at the correct time and staff feedback at each stage.

For me, with my reluctance to change, the most significant part of the process is speaking to everyone involved. Pharmacy staff can spend many hours each week at work and many people consider their colleagues as a second family. They need to know exactly how their work will change and what they are likely to expect during and after the alterations. They also need to know how the changes will be measured and what the accomplishment may mean for them and their team in the long run.

Staff do matter and engagement at all levels is vital to the successful implementation of any change. Why not talk to your colleagues and find out how you can be involved in any change processes where you work and what you can do to ease things?

Joanne is a registered pharmacy technician and ACPT, and is professional standards lead at Vittoria Healthcare. She is national secretary for the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), and is a member of the Medicines Rebalancing Programme Board at the Department of Health as well as TM’s editorial advisory panel.

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