Pharmacies are “best placed” to deliver a planned rollout off greater access to weight loss jabs which could benefit 3.4 million people in England.
Reports today claim the government is looking at trials that would see the medication made available following a short, over-the-counter consultation for the price of an NHS prescription.
Currently weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy are prescribed to patients after being referred to specialist weight loss clinics, which are usually located in hospitals.
However, at the moment, there is a two-year waiting list for Wegovy on the NHS with report claiming the rollout of the NHS service is taking longer than expected.
Pharmacies already sell the medication as a private service with costs ranging between £120 and £250 for a month's supply.
According to the Daily Mail, a multimillion-pound deal for a pilot scheme will be struck with a pharmaceutical firm, with a view to issuing prescriptions through pharmacies and health centres.
“Pharmacies stand ready and able to deliver this service,” Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said on Radio 4’s Today programme.
“Access to medicines that could cut damaging levels of obesity shouldn’t be restricted to those who can pay or disadvantage deprived communities.
“We’re yet to see the detail but this announcement has the potential to make sure that people who need these treatments the most could access them for free.”
Picard added that pharmacists have the clinical expertise to oversee the safe usage of weight loss drugs to tackle “an obesity crisis in the country”.
“Pharmacies are the most accessible part of the NHS, and there are many pharmacies in deprived areas despite recent challenges,” he said.
“Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care including lifestyle advice.
“They are best placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, with the right funding support.”
A Government spokesperson added: “As the Government shifts the NHS from sickness to prevention, we will be looking across the board at how these drugs can be made available to more people who can benefit from them.
“The NHS is already tackling obesity in innovative ways, including through community care models and digital technologies, to help deliver these drugs as part of a rounded package of care.”
