Effectiveness of a tailored training programme in behaviour change counselling for community pharmacists: A pilot study

Objective: To undertake a pilot study assessing effectiveness of a tailored training programme in behaviour change counselling (BCC) for community pharmacists on, their competence and confidence in delivering behaviour change consultations, skill retention over time and impact on practice. Methods: Community pharmacists (N = 87) attending Primary Care Trust training were given study information and invited to take part. Baseline BCC competence of consenting pharmacists (n = 17) was assessed using the Behaviour Change Counselling Index (BECCI). Following BCC training, competence was reassessed at 1, 3 and 6 months. Friedman's test was used to compare median BECCI item scores at baseline and after 6 months. Structured interviews were conducted to assess pharmacists' confidence in BCC consultations after training. Results: Baseline BECCI scores of 0-2 demonstrated pharmacists had not reached competence threshold. Six months after training, BECCI scores improved significantly from baseline (p<. 0.05). Competence in delivering BCC (scores of 3-4) was achieved at 3 months, but lost at 6 months for some items. After training, pharmacists felt confident in delivering BCC. Conclusion: Training pharmacists enabled them to deliver BCC competently and confidently. Practice implications: BCC aligns with pharmacist-patient consultations. It took 3 months to achieve competence. Ongoing support may be needed to maintain competence long-term.