Pharmacist-based health coaching: A new model of pharmacist-patient care

This paper describes a provider-patient communication process, which although not new to health care in general, is new to the pharmacy profession. Health coaching is a technique that empowers patients to make lasting health behavior changes that improve overall well-being. It provides patients with health care implementation options that better suit their lifestyle and abilities. Health coaching programs have the potential to foster better health outcomes, especially with patients who are chronically ill or represent an at risk population for medication non-adherence (e.g. elderly, patients on psychotropic medications). Other health professions (e.g. nursing and medicine) have had success with the implementation of health coaching models. For example, nurse coaching is recognized by the American Nurse Association and recent statistics show 3.1 million nurses in the U.S.A are also trained in nurse coaching. The pharmacy profession has yet to tap the patient-related benefits of health coaching. This commentary will discuss (i) The theoretical foundations of health coaching (ii) Distinctions between health coaching, motivational interviewing and traditional medication therapy counseling (iii) Training necessary for health coaching; and (iv) How pharmacists can use health coaching in practice.