Most people are aware of what is good for their health, e.g. not smoking, but many find it difficult to alter their behaviour despite having good intentions. Understanding why people do not alter their behaviour will help you to provide patients with encouragement to take action and help them make the changes.

The COM-B model of behaviour change is one of many models that look at the personal requirements for successful behaviour changes.

In order for someone to successfully change their behaviour they need to have the three key elements on the left.

Capability – this refers to a person’s ability to overcome any barriers to change such as lack of knowledge, specific skills or physical ability to take action. For example if a patient uses a walking stick it is likely they will struggle to go for a 30 minute walk but they could swim.

Opportunity – a person must have the physical and social environment to change their behaviour. An example of this is when a person wanting to give up smoking is exposed to passive cigarette smoke at home because a family member continues to smoke.

Motivation – a person wanting to change must be more motivated to engage in healthy behaviour than unhealthy, for example, eating more fruit and vegetables and reducing their sugar intake.

These are not the only influences on someone changing their behaviour in a positive or negative way, other factors include:

Affordability- cost of fresh fruit and vegetables or gym membership.

Availability – extended opening hours of pubs and availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets.

Legislation – ban on smoking in public places.

Social norms – there is a strong link between the amount of physical activity an adult does and their socio-economic group.

As a medicines counter assistant you are often the first point of contact for a patient in a community pharmacy, this gives you the opportunity to help them realise that they have the capability, opportunity and motivation to make changes in order to benefit their health.