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Abstract: Background: Internationally, pharmaceutical policy has heightened expectations for community pharmacies to act as healthcare professionals, increasing the need to understand the health professional–retailer nexus. Literature suggests that pharmacy involves a dichotomy of roles including both retailing and healthcare provision, yet it is unknown whether pharmacists themselves perceive a tension between these roles and how such a tension might be managed. Aim: To explore whether there is tension between being retailers and healthcare providers in community pharmacy and to understand how any such tension is perceived and managed. Methods: Ten in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with pharmacist owners and managers of community pharmacies in New Zealand. General inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to gain insight from the data. Results: Pharmacists experienced tension between being healthcare providers and being retailers. In total, eight themes were derived from this study. Four themes emerged to describe the tension: (i) balancing roles; (ii) tension – what tension?; (iii) we give a lot for free; and (iv) too much bureaucracy and paperwork. Four themes for managing tension were identified: (i) imparting of owner beliefs; (ii) use of incentives; (iii) effective business management skills; and (iv) being entrepreneurial. Conclusion: This paper is expected to assist in helping policy‐makers and practitioners be aware of the role of tensions when policies are implemented to move pharmacists from a retailer role to healthcare provider. This paper aids in policy development and should inform professional practice and forthcoming business management training programs for community pharmacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]