The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7490 p203
23 February 2008

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Additional funding pledged for pharmacy weight management scheme

Pharmacy weight management services in Coventry are to receive further funding from the Department of Health, participants heard at an All-Party Pharmacy Group meeting held in Westminster this week.

Principal pharmaceutical officer Gul Root revealed that the Coventry scheme (PJ, 25 August 2007, p202), initially piloted for 12 months, would receive Government money for a second year, after an interim analysis by the director of public health showed statistically significant weight loss for people recruited to the scheme.

Full evaluation of the pilot is currently being undertaken.

“One of the reasons why we funded the project [initially] was because there was very little evidence base,” she explained, “and we worked very closely with Coventry Primary Care Trust and UniChem to ensure that the project was evaluated.”

Mrs Root also drew attention to the positive effects that the scheme — which encourages people to make small changes to their lifestyles to facilitate sustainable weight loss — had on people’s mental well-being and self esteem. The meeting also showed broad support for a similar scheme to be rolled out nationally as an advanced pharmaceutical service for England and Wales.