title: Healthy living champions network: An opportunity for community pharmacy's sustained participation in tackling local health inequalities.
abstract: Evaluations recognize healthy living champions (HLCs) as key contributors to the Health Living Pharmacy (HLP) project's success; the project has served to reduce pressure on family doctor services and clients who would have otherwise not sought professional advice have accessed HLP services.
  
  
  
  To investigate the impact of innovative networking opportunities in supporting HLCs to function within their role and to explore the network's potential in promoting sustained HLP participation.
  
  
  
  Twenty of Portsmouth's (England) HLCs (n = 33) agreed to participate in focus groups. Transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis guided by grounded theory. The transcripts were read repeatedly; recurrent themes were identified and coded manually and consensus was reached by discussion within the research team.
  
  
  
  Network meetings provide HLCs with professional development, networking opportunities and continued encouragement. Recommendations to develop and sustain the network included the formation of a group committee and establishing of a communication facility accessible between meetings.
  
  
  
  The successful Portsmouth HLP project informed the design of UK HLP projects. The current focus is to build a successful strategy to sustain the positive outcomes, building on the recognized enablers. This study contributes further lessons learned to guide health commissioners and service implementers to best support staff development, involvement and motivation through innovative practice.
authors: School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK. Electronic address: Zachariah.nazar@port.ac.uk.
authors: Zachariah
authors: Z
authors: Nazar
authors: School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Portlock
authors: School of Pharmacy, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE, UK.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Rutter
authors: School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004739:England; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D013192:Staff Development
keywords: Community health network; Community pharmacy services; Health promotion; Healthy living pharmacy; Healthy people programs