Following increases in deaths due to alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been renewed calls to increase resources in alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI). Research has shown that community pharmacy could be a promising setting for SBI. This review aimed to investigate the barriers and facilitators to SBI delivery in community pharmacy to inform its further development.

A systematic search of four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) was conducted in October 2021 to identify relevant published qualitative or mixed-method studies. Relevant qualitative data were extracted from the included studies and a framework synthesis was performed using the Capability–Opportunity–Motivation–Behaviour (COM-B) model.

Two thousand two hundred and ten articles were screened and nine studies were included in the review (seven in the United Kingdom and two in Australia). Identified barriers and facilitators to delivering SBI corresponded to all components of the COM-B model. Facilitators included non-confrontational communication skills, aligning SBI with existing pharmacy services and pharmacist role legitimacy. Barriers included multiple demands on staff time, a lack of staff experience with screening tools, and staff concerns of causing offence. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), we propose five elements of a pharmacy SBI to address identified barriers.

Research into SBI in community pharmacy is limited in comparison to other healthcare settings and this review provides an understanding of the barriers and facilitators to the delivery of SBI in community pharmacy from a behavioural perspective. Through the use of COM-B and BCW, our findings could inform the development of future pharmacy-based SBI.