This page guides you through the steps we recommend to set up weight management services in your pharmacy
Weight management services set up
Community pharmacies can support patients with their weight management in a number of ways. This may start by simply offering appropriate over the counter healthy living advice (through trained pharmacy support staff) or through a weight management or health check service which assists patients in identifying if they are at a healthy weight or not.
Following this service, a trained member of your team may advise on next steps, which could range from support with behavioural changes and goal setting to medicated weight management.
Although some medicated weight management is obtainable over the counter, others are prescription only medicines (POMs) and therefore will only be obtainable via a Patient Group Direction (PGD) through a pharmacist or independent prescriber.
Set-up process
Do you offer a Pharmacy Health Check service?
Community pharmacies can already support patients with their weight management in a number of ways. While you are getting staff trained and setting up your premises with suitable equipment, we recommend you start by simply offering appropriate over-the-counter healthy living advice (all trained pharmacy support staff can do this) or through a weight management or hypertension health check service. This assists patients to identify if they are at a healthy weight or not.
As part of such a service, the trained member of the team would advise the next steps, which could range from support with behavioural changes and goal setting to medicated weight management, allowing you to begin supporting your patients.
Ensuring that all staff involved are suitably trained
Any member of the pharmacy team may be the first point of contact for a patient requesting advice and support relating to weight management, therefore it is important.
Staff should be trained on the key points about the services you offer including price, consultation times/process and booking process, so they are able to advise patients appropriately.
Our training page, provides guidance about what training is available to pharmacists and pharmacy support staff.
Supplying prescription only treatments as part of your service
If you intend to provide a private medicated weight management service, you may purchase a private PGD here.
Equipment and consultation room requirements
In order for you to provide a suitable weight management service, you must ensure that you have the correct equipment. This includes:
A private consultation room that has appropriate space for an obese patient to enter without feeling uncomfortable
A sturdy chair without armrests
Measuring tape
Class III medical weighing scales with a capacity of 150kg and of suitable size for an obese patient to stand on. You can obtain these here.
Stadiometer to measure height – You can obtain these here.
Preparing the key service documents
The NPA has developed resources including a template letter to GPs to assist you in delivering weight management and obesity service.
GP letter template:
SOP and guides for Pharmacy staff engagement with weight management and obesity services
This SOP shows suggested steps that different members of the pharmacy team can engage in, with the service. This must be tailored to each pharmacy.
The Training matrix can be used to ensure that each member of staff has carried out the suggested training, in order for you to be satisfied with their competence, before engaging with patients/customers. Please adapt the matrix according to your pharmacy’s service outline.
Managing appointments
To smoothly manage appointments for your services, you can use the appointment booking systems, such as the one available from the NPA’s trusted partner Charac.
GP engagement
Engage with GP's for signposting to weight management and other pharmacy services. Working in harmony with local GPs is of particular importance for weight management and obesity services, as some GP patients may not qualify for NHS-funded medicated weight management services.
This GP letter template may be used to advise your local GP practices of the services you offer in your pharmacy so that they can signpost patients to them.
The GP engagement guidance document advises on the best steps to take to successfully engage with your local GP practice. GP Engagement Letter Template
Grow your online presence
To achieve a successful and profitable service, it is important that you promote your service to patients/customers well. This can be through engagement of customers by staff during transactions or health promotion campaigns. Visual engagement through posters, leaflets, pharmacy tv screen displays and website banners also play an important part in promotion of the service. To support with this, you can access a range of marketing materials via our business partners, Pharmadoctor.
