Independent evaluation builds base for pharmacy weight loss programme

by Pharmacy Life - Published on 27 June 2014

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A new independent evaluation into pharmacy weight management services in four PCTs has demonstrated the value of pharmacy services in delivering effective public health outcomes.

The report: ‘Effectiveness of a community pharmacy weight management programme’ - just published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - also shows that pharmacy weight loss services can be effectively replicated across geographies.

The IJCP paper follows an independent evaluation of pharmacy weight loss services in 34 pharmacies in four PCTs, completed recently by the University of Nottingham. Studying weight loss and health outcomes in 281 patients, the findings show that around a quarter of participants achieved the goal of reducing their body weight by five per cent at three months. These effects were also seen at six months. Additionally there was a reduction in blood pressure, which was not seen at three months.

The report author, Dr Helen Boardman, Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Nottingham, also concludes that pharmacies present an ideal environment for weight loss services, and that the achieved outcomes are not location specific. According to the Nottingham evaluation, findings from the four-centre study replicate those of recent single area evaluations of NHS commissioned pharmacy weight management services in community pharmacies.

‘A weight management programme needs to be one that [people] can complete alongside their work and family commitments,’ said Dr Boardman. ‘Pharmacies with their longer working hours may be an ideal place for some patients to obtain the support they need to assist them in losing weight.’

The Community Pharmacy Weight Management Programme was designed and managed on behalf of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) by Alliance Healthcare. It was piloted in Coventry PCT in 2007 and extended to other PCTs until 2010. The scheme was a measurement and structured advice programme provided by community pharmacies and available to eligible NHS patients.

The scheme aimed to assist patients in losing at least five per cent of their initial body weight. At three months seventy-two patients (66 per cent) lost less than 5kg, with 23 (21 per cent) losing more than 5kg. Overall, fifteen per cent of programme participants achieved at least a five per cent reduction in weight by their last visit to the programme.

By six months statistically significant reductions in blood pressure were observed, with two-thirds seeing a reduction in blood pressure at six months compared with baseline.

‘This study adds to the evidence base for pharmacy’s contribution to public health. It is good to see a significant weight reduction both after three and six months,’ said Gul Root, Principal Pharmacist, Department of Health. ‘We need more robust research, looking at a larger number of people over a longer period of time and with a control arm, to really determine the benefits of a pharmacy-based weight management programme. I hope that this study might provide an impetus for further research to be carried out.’

‘Alliance Healthcare Distribution is delighted to support this project,’ added Sanjay Pathak, Head of Alliance Healthcare’s Pharmacy Professional Services, ‘in order to strengthen the evidence base for the impact and role community pharmacy can play in public health. People find losing weight challenging and they frequently need support to help them achieve their aims. The study has demonstrated that regardless of their location, community pharmacies can offer patients practical, realistic and effective help with weight loss and achieving better cardiovascular health. We believe this evidence strengthens the case for future commissioning opportunities and will ensure that community pharmacy remains part of the core proposition when planning any future services.’