Launch Of Orlistat As Pharmacy Medicine Welcomed By Royal Pharmaceutical Society Of Great Britain

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 21 Apr 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The launch of anti-obesity drug orlistat as a pharmacy medicine this week is a step in the right direction for patients needing effective weight-management care and expert advice, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) said today.

Pharmacists now have the ability to dispense orlistat after conducting a comprehensive consultation with a patient, a move the RPSGB's Director of Policy, David Pruce, said gave the public convenient access to a proven weight-loss aid.

"We totally support the move to make orlistat available to patients from pharmacists without a prescription. Increasingly, pharmacists are offering a greater spectrum of life-style advice, including blood-pressure monitoring, smoking cessation programmes and vascular checks. With orlistat, pharmacists have another service which they can offer to complement existing weight-management advice and treatments.

"It is important to remember orlistat is not a magic bullet. Patients taking the medicine also need to be committed to following a balanced diet and moderate exercise regime in order to benefit."

David Pruce said pharmacists were highly visible in their communities and, given they were able to reach people who did not regularly see a GP, were ideally placed to tackle the country's growing obesity problem.

"Research has shown that the vast majority of the public has easy access to pharmacies, with 99 per cent of the population able to reach a community pharmacy by car, by walking or by public transport within 20 minutes."

David Pruce said pharmacists had been given comprehensive training material in anticipation of orlistat's availability as a pharmacy medicine.

"The guidance the Society has developed sets out the criteria by which orlistat can be dispensed and important points for pharmacists to consider when counter prescribing; along with information on how it works, how it should be taken and specific interactions with other medicines."

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

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