Nurses should welcome the non-prescription obesity drug

Any sensible person realises that improving lifestyle remains a key factor in reducing the onset of obesity. Nurses and other healthcare professionals have been promoting this message for many years to patients with whom they come into contact.

The majority of overweight and obese people already understand that they need to change their eating habits and become more active if they are to improve their health. Sadly, it is not knowledge alone that will make this happen but a whole range of strategies. We need a number of options that we can offer to our patients, including medication.

Now, for the first time, there is a medically proven licensed product that patients can buy at their local pharmacist. How will this affect nursing practice?

For almost 10 years, patients have had the option of taking prescribed drugs to help them lose weight. Although this option is supported by NICE, many healthcare professionals condemn the use of such drugs as a costly waste of money that should not be used to tackle a lifestyle problem. As a result, only around 2% of obese patients are offered drugs such as orlistat (Xenical) or sibutramine (Reductil) by healthcare professionals.

Interestingly, there does not appear to be the same concern over treating a range of other lifestyle health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol. These conditions are treated with drug interventions, often for a lifetime, even though they too could easily be improved by implementing dietary changes and taking more exercise.

The launch of Alli, a reduced-strength version of the prescription drug orlistat, will encourage pharmacists to provide obesity services and take some of the strain off nurses in primary care.

Of course, drugs are not a miracle cure for obesity and do not work without lifestyle changes also being made. But what better incentive for a patient to make changes to their lifestyle than when they have invested their own money into the project?

The reality is that people need to be given options and choices, not a one-size-fits-all approach. A non-prescription licensed drug fits well in the bigger picture.

Pharmacists can play an important role in health promotion and have been overlooked for many years. They are ideally placed to assist in tackling a range of risk factors for preventable diseases, such as smoking and obesity, so why not rejoice and embrace this new opportunity?

There needs to be more investment overall towards halting the obesity epidemic. This should include: an expansion in safe and
public green areas; better cycle paths; responsible advertising of food to children and adults; better food labelling; healthier
food options; and more services within primary care.

But let’s remember that, even if all these were in place, people will need to want to make the change for themselves.

We can all play a part in the fight against the obesity epidemic and we must ensure that we work together and embrace every available opportunity to help society. I say bring on the pharmacy anti-obesity drug and let’s see what happens.

Author
Jane DeVille-Almond, independent nurse consultant, vice-chair of the National Obesity Forum and vice chair/president of the Men’s Health Forum

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