Boots Ireland is helping people manage their weight with professional guidance alongside prescription treatments.
Boots pharmacy shop entrance(Image: Getty)
Boots stores across Ireland are offering a “convenient” weight loss service, which combines professional support with the option to collect prescription medications to help people manage their weight.
Being overweight affects more than 60% of adults in Ireland and can increase the risk of serious health problems including heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
The pharmacy giant says its service “can help you to lose your extra weight, which sometimes includes taking medication if your doctor thinks it’s suitable and of benefit for you in achieving your weight loss goals”.
The service is aimed at adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30kg/m² or higher, or for those with certain weight related health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure or breathing problems with a lower BMI of 27kg/m².
Boots said: “If you have a BMI of 30kg/m² or over we recommend you have a conversation with your doctor who will let you know what weight loss programme is suitable for you and may also recommend some weight loss treatment and Weight Check Consultation.”
The process begins with a weight management consultation with a doctor, either through a GP or online services.
This is followed by 10 minute in store Weight Check Consultation, where a trained Boots healthcare professional measures BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure, and provides personalised advice. If medication is prescribed, it can be collected at this stage.
After this, ongoing pharmacy weight checks are scheduled at times recommended by the doctor to help patients stay on track. Boots says “consistency is key”, and follow up appointments make sure patients receive the guidance they need to achieve sustainable results.
Prescription options include treatments that either influence appetite or reduce fat absorption. Boots explained: “One medicine treatment option, is similar to a naturally occurring hormone in the body called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and works by controlling your appetite, making you feel fuller. It can be prescribed by doctors for persons aged 18 to 74 years, who have a BMI of 30kg/m² or greater, or if you have certain weight related health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fats in the blood or breathing problems during sleep called ‘obstructive sleep apnoea’ your doctor might prescribe this medication with a lower BMI from 27kg/m². This medication is given for 12 weeks to start with, and the dose injected increases gradually over the first few weeks.
“Another medicine treatment option works in the digestive system blocking about a third of the fat in food eaten from being digested. This undigested fat cannot be absorbed in the body and is indicated in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet if you have a body mass index (BMI) greater or equal to 30kg/m², or with weight related health problems and a BMI more than 28kg/m².
“At 12 weeks after starting, in order to continue with medication, you need to have lost 5% of your initial body weight as measured at the start of treatment.”
Costs vary depending on the prescription, but tools such as sharps disposal bins and consultations are included at no extra charge when recommended.
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