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Weight loss injections are growing in popularity but it’s important independents help patients interpret conflicting online information and potential misinformation. Kathy Oxtoby reports…

Weight loss injections are growing in popularity. And pharmacists can expect to see more patients with these prescriptions, following the government’s announcement that as part of the 2026-27 GP contract, general practitioners will be incentivised through the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) to prescribe weight loss drugs for eligible patients.

Patients with severe obesity and comorbidities will be supported by their GP to access weight loss support programmes and jabs, under a £25 million programme.¹

“We expect to see more and more prescriptions coming through for weight loss medications,” says Lila Thakerar, superintendent pharmacist at Shaftesbury Pharmacy in Harrow.

“Pharmacists will also need to give lifestyle advice and provide the New Medicine Service (NMS) to anyone who is starting this medication."

Helping patients make informed decisions

Pharmacists play “a vital role in helping patients make informed, safe decisions about weight management”, says professor Claire Anderson, a former president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), which recently became the Royal College of Pharmacy.

“This includes carrying out robust clinical assessment, reviewing medical history and current medicines, and ensuring patients understand that these treatments are not a quick fix, but part of a wider, long-term approach to managing weight.” 

Independent pharmacists can provide “trusted, evidence-based advice on benefits, risks and realistic outcomes of weight loss medications”, says Rowlands services manager Emily Jones.

“Ensure clinical eligibility for patients to make sure they understand if they are suitable for the medication or not, and if not, fully explain why and the safety reasoning behind this.”  

She says it is important to “help patients interpret conflicting online information and potential misinformation they have been given”.

“Provide ongoing monitoring including weight, BMI, side effects and general wellbeing and signpost patients to NHS or local support services, such as dieticians or weight management programmes.”

As a pharmacist offering NHS weight management support, Ms Thakerar gives lifestyle advice to patients who have been prescribed weight loss medications.

If a weight loss injection prescription has already been provided by a prescriber, a pharmacist cannot encourage the option of not taking this medication, she says. However, for those patients considering going down the weight loss injection route, “we can give them the pros and cons of taking this medication”.

Risky option for some patients

Weight loss injections may be a risky option for some patients. According to the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), some of the most common side effects of GLP-1 medicines are gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.² 

“Most side effects are mild to moderate in severity or short in duration. However, some (such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea) sometimes lead to more serious complications such as severe dehydration, resulting in the need to go to hospital,” says the MHRA.²

Although “infrequent”, inflammation of the pancreas (known as acute pancreatitis) has been reported with GLP-1 medicines and there have been rare reports of pancreatitis with serious or fatal outcomes, says MHRA.²

“The main symptom of this is severe pain in the stomach that radiates to the back and does not go away. Anyone who experiences this should seek urgent medical help.” ² 

Professor Anderson says: “Where medicines like GLP-1 receptor agonists are clinically indicated, they must be supplied in line with national guidance, with clear counselling on common gastrointestinal side effects and potential risks, alongside appropriate follow-up and monitoring.” 

For many people, “sustainable changes to diet and physical activity remain the foundation of maintaining a healthy weight and may be the most appropriate option”, she adds. 

However, lifestyle choices are not just as effective and may not be better than injections for all patients looking to lose weight, says Sehar Shahid, a National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board member for Scotland.

Ms Shahid is also owner of 24 HR Pharmacy, an online private pharmacy in Paisley, Scotland, and an independent prescribing pharmacist specialising in obesity care and delivering weight management services.

“Obesity is a chronic condition. You may have a patient with obesity that is doing all the lifestyle changes, including changing their diet and exercising, but who is still struggling to lose weight.

“Lifestyle choices can be effective for many patients who only have a few pounds to lose, but lifestyle choices alone are not enough for somebody living with chronic obesity,” says Ms Shahid.

However, she says it is important that healthy lifestyle choices, diet and exercise are used alongside any medicated treatment, “to get the best long term, sustainable results for people looking to lose weight”.

Tailoring services to individual patients

Pharmacists are “well placed to tailor support to the individual through thorough consultation, realistic goal setting and ongoing review, as well as integrating lifestyle advice with any medicine supply”, says professor Anderson.

“The priority should always be safe, evidence-based care that delivers sustainable outcomes for patients.”

Ms Thakerar says with weight management, “patients need to be individually assessed”. “Each patient’s situation is different. It’s not one-size-fits-all.

“Make every contact count. Have a chat with the patient in the consultation room, look at their other underlying health conditions, and calculate their BMI. Tailor your services to meet their needs.” 

Offer patients lifestyle advice, she says. “I encourage patients to give up smoking, to monitor their alcohol intake and to exercise - I refer some patients  to the local walking group, which is arranged by the GP surgery.” 

If you are looking to offer weight management services, “make sure you're competent, have done the relevant training, and that you understand the medications”, says Ms Shahid.

“Have one-to-one consultations with patients to understand their full needs, and continue to follow-up and review patients on an ongoing basis.”   

Offer individual risk assessments, accounting for medical history, medications, mental health and lifestyle, says Ms Jones.

“The key is to provide choices – behavioural change support, nutrition advice, digital tools or medication if clinically appropriate. Help patients to personalise weight loss goals.” 

She says a “shared care approach is needed, working collaboratively with GPs and the NHS to ensure effective weight loss journeys for those accessing private community pharmacy services”.

When pharmacies are setting up their weight loss services, they need to consider how they are going to deliver that personalised support, says Ms Shahid. For example, she has written an e-book guide for her patients that includes advice on diet, exercise and gut health.

She also has follow-up consultations with patients to “help support them and keep them accountable”.

As for the types of weight loss medication pharmacists should offer, they should be licensed drugs, says Ms Shahid. She prescribes “the most appropriate drug for the patient based on their full medical history”. Weight loss drugs she prescribes include Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide). 

With any discussion about weight loss “we have to be careful how we initiate that conversation”, says Ms Thakerar. “It has to be a sensitive conversation, and it has to be done discreetly, in the consultation room.”

Ms Shahid says pharmacy colleagues need to “make sure they do the right training and are confident and competent to deliver a weight loss service”.

“And support patients fully, offering a full package around lifestyle and medication,” she adds, “rather than medication alone.”

References

1 Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England (2026) Better access to GPs with same-day appointments for urgent care. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-access-to-gps-with-same-day-appointments-for-urgent-care

2 Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026) GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know