Help Shape How Pharmacists Support Physical Activity for Heart Health in WA
The project
Most Australians visit a pharmacy more often than any other health service, yet pharmacists are rarely asked to support people to become more physically active. This project is exploring how community pharmacists in Western Australia could be better supported to have brief, practical conversations about physical activity with adults who are living with, or at risk of, cardiovascular disease.
Regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease. It can help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels, strengthen the heart, and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Despite these benefits, many people face barriers to being physically active, particularly those living in regional areas or experiencing financial hardship who may have limited access to ongoing health support. Community pharmacies are well placed to provide accessible advice and encouragement to help people become and stay active.
To ensure this research reflects what matters most to the people it aims to support, researchers at Curtin want to hear directly from adults who are living with cardiovascular disease or who have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity. Your experiences and perspectives will help them to understand what effective physical activity support from a pharmacist could look like, and what would make these conversations useful, practical, and relevant in everyday life.
The involvement opportunity
The research team are looking for 3-4 consumers to take part in a single individual or small group consultation held online (approximately 60 minutes). During the consultation, consumers will be asked to share their experiences accessing health support through community pharmacy, their thoughts on receiving physical activity advice from a pharmacist, and any practical considerations they think are important for making this kind of support work in the real world. There are no right or wrong answers — the team want honest perspectives that will help shape the direction of the research.
Skills and experience
Adults (18 years or older) who are living with, or at increased risk of, cardiovascular disease. This includes people with one or more modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes or high blood sugar, regardless of whether they have received a formal diagnosis.
Other information
A one-off meeting of approximately 1 hour will be held online
An honorarium payment of $37.50/hour is offered
Applications close 17 July 2026