Pharmacy Unscripted - Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Question 1

What are the five lifestyle changes people can make to be healthier?

Answer 1

Give up smoking – smoking is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections, can increase the severity of respiratory diseases and is also a known risk factor for developing a severe disease from many respiratory infections.

Exercise more – adults should aim for 150 mins of moderate intensity exercise per week plus strengthening exercises twice per week.

Maintain a healthy BMI – being very obese increases the risks associated with COVID-19, putting the person in the moderate risk category.

Eat a healthy diet – following the Eatwell Guide is a great way to make sure that you are getting a healthy, balanced diet.

Additionally, between October and March, it is recommended that adults and children over four years should take a daily 10 mcg supplement of vitamin D.

Drink less alcohol – no more than 14 units a week, spread over a number of days.

Question 2

What is making every contact count (MECC)?

Answer 2

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an initiative that encourages people, who have contact with members of the public, to seek opportunities to have lifestyle conversations.

Question 3

Is MECC about giving advice?

Answer 3

MECC is not necessarily about giving advice. It is about asking open questions, listening and responding to someone in a person-centred way to give you a better understanding about the type of support they may need.

Question 4

What framework outline can be used in MECC conversations?

Answer 4

ASK
Once you have identified an opportunity, use open questions to explore the issue.

ASSIST
Discuss possible solutions and try to understand the support the person needs.

ACT
It is up to the customer to decide if they want to make a change, but you can support them to decide what action they are going to take. This could be selling them a product, providing information or signposting them to a service. They may also find their own solutions.

Question 5

What three elements are required to generate a change in behaviour (healthy lifestyle)?

Answer 5

capability, opportunity and motivation.

This is known as the COM-B model

Question 6

What does the COM-B Model stand for?

Answer 6

Capability is having the mental and physical capacity to change a behaviour and includes having the necessary knowledge and skills.

Opportunity represents all the factors that lie outside the individual that make behaviour change possible or prompt it.

Motivation is about more than setting goals and conscious decision making; it is the brain process that energises and directs behaviour change.