Communication Skills in Pharmacy Practice
Assertiveness is the ability to state positively and constructively
your rights or needs without violating the rights of others. When you use
direct, open, and honest communication in relationships to meet your
personal needs, you feel more confident, gain respect from others, and
live a happier.
The goals of assertiveness training include:
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Differentiation among
assertiveness, aggressiveness, and
passivity ( non-assertiveness or passive aggressiveness) , and how
people deal with personal boundaries ( their own and those of
other people).
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Learning verbal & non verbal assertiveness skills.
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Increased awareness of personal rights.
Assertiveness is a response style that focuses of resolving conflicts
in relationships in an atmosphere of mutual respect
 Assertiveness gives the person the ability to directly and honestly
convey what they think
 Allows people to stand up for their own rights and what they
believe in without fringing on the rights of others
 Focus on problem solving rather than turning a conflict into a
‘win/lose’ situation
Passive Behavior
 Avoid conflict at all cost
 Avoids saying what he/she really think out of fear that others may
not agree
 ‘Hides’ and waits for others to initiate conversation
 Put others’ needs above their own
 May feel secretly angry or resentful towards others
 May see themselves as victims
Aggressive Behavior
 Seeks to ‘win’ his/her own conflict situations by dominating or
intimidating others
 Promotes his/her own interests, but is indifferent or hostile to the
feelings, thoughts, or needs of others
 May ‘win’ certain arguments in the short term, but their behaviour
may lead to long-term negative consequences
 Assertive Behavior
 Direct expression of ideas, opinions, and desires
 Aim To communicate in an atmosphere of ‘trust’
 Face conflicts and seek mutual
solutions
 Initiate communication in a way that
conveys concern and respect for
others