Many community pharmacists find that the opportunities to build supportive networks are limited, due to time pressures and the urgency to get tasks completed. Not having a good network to call upon can mean that you hold on to pressures and concerns. Not having the opportunity to share challenges and seek different perspectives can lead to a lowering of self confidence, anxiety and resilience.

When relationship building, it's important for you to feel comfortable and authentic in your approach. It is very easy to see how people can view building a network of support as a difficult activity, creating artificial relationships that feel shallow and unproductive.

However, when considering a networking opportunity, it is worth working through the following questions to create a true win-win-win situation:

• How can I benefit from developing this relationship?
• How can the other party benefit?
• How can the patient benefit?

So, what else stops us from effectively building a strong network of support? Here are some possible reasons as identified by Jane Clarke and Dr John Nicholson in their book Resilience:

• Fear of laying yourself open to others, particularly if there is an absence of trust
• Becoming a burden on others
• Concern about taking up others' time
• Making yourself look stupid or incompetent
• Raising false hope in others
• Risking rejection.

The relationships between GPs and their practice teams are increasingly critical, so it's vital to take time to prepare for opportunities to build relationships and dispel some of the 'limiting beliefs' listed above.