Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP)
The Community Pharmacy England website includes comprehensive details regarding Healthy Living Pharmacy which can be accessed here: https://cpe.org.uk/national-pharmacy-services/essential-services/healthy-living-pharmacies/.
Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) Level 1 Resources
A list of resources and local information that you may need:
Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) Level 1 – Resource List v2 – Updated January 2022
Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that uses day-to-day interactions that organisations and people have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Community pharmacies are well placed to have MECC conversations with over 1.6 million people in England using a pharmacy each day. MECC can support NMS, signposting and be part of engaging Public Health campaigns.
A MECC conversation is unpinned by a Very Brief Intervention (VBI) designed to give people information to inspire positive change, and/or directing them where to go for further help.
An example of using MECC is shown below:
ASK – Have you ever thought of stopping or tried to stop before?
ASSIST –State that the best way of stopping smoking is with a combination of medication and specialist support. Discuss benefits and motivations for quitting i.e. personal health/family health, cost.
ACT – If they would like further information on what your Pharmacy and/or the Local Stop Smoking service could offer.
Signposting for help and support:
The MECC CoI has developed a simple signposting tool called MECC Link https://www.mecclink.co.uk/what-is-mecc-link/ which enables pharmacies to embed and extend prevention and promotion of wellbeing and resilience into everyday practice, by providing:
- Easily accessible information on key healthy lifestyle topics
- Suggested open questions using the Ask, Assist, Act model
- Information on a range of primary Self-care tools and resources
- Signposting to recommended national and local support services
The information and guidance on the MECC Link website is really helpful and will aid the whole pharmacy team with how best to signpost to better health and wellbeing.
MECC Conversation Videos
“The videos below are examples of MECC conversations in various settings. They show how to have a MECC conversation and how quickly you can identify what a person wants and offer to signpost them to a service that may be able to help them. Please note that this is not just active listening – it is a conversation with a purpose.”
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC) – Social Isolation Scenario (community pharmacy example): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px-qvd0y3cY&index=19&list=PLNt6KNwtYISrUvBOsJBWIcs0DUvizhMZY
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC) – Smoking Scenario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtEXF4IRv-M&index=18&t=0s&list=PLNt6KNwtYISrUvBOsJBWIcs0DUvizhMZY
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC) – Physical Activity Scenario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRRzx7QnzhE&list=PLNt6KNwtYISrUvBOsJBWIcs0DUvizhMZY&index=18
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC) – Healthy Diet Scenario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH3vOxA7l00&index=20&list=PLNt6KNwtYISrUvBOsJBWIcs0DUvizhMZY
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC) – Perinatal Mental Health Scenario:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7L3eaqMHU4&list=PLNt6KNwtYISrUvBOsJBWIcs0DUvizhMZY&index=21
Last Updated: 25th January 2022
