Weight Loss Treatment

Weight Loss Treatment Service - OBESITY

How can Anytime Pharmacy help me?

We provide this regulated, specialist service for patients who wish to obtain medicine to help them lose weight. Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in western industrialized countries, it is estimated that over a third of people in the UK are overweight. A quick search on the Internet will find many websites claiming to offer you a method of losing weight, some of these methods can be dangerous. Your doctor can prescribe you medicine which when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise is proven to help you lose weight.

All services provided by Anytime Pharmacy are safe, fast and confidential (we do not inform your GP). You can obtain treatment within the privacy of your home and without the inconvenience of lengthy doctor waiting rooms.

Choose same day click and collect from your local participating pharmacy. The benefit of collecting from your local pharmacy is that you can go to the pharmacy at a time that suits you, it's faster than a mail order delivery and no-one has to wait at home to sign for your medicine.

What is body mass index (BMI)?

A healthy weight range is based on a measurement known as the body mass index (BMI). This can be determined if you know your weight and your height. During your medical consultation you will be asked for your weight and height.

How does the Anytime Pharmacy service work?

Step 1:	Register online and complete the free online medical questionnaire consultation. A doctor will review your questionnaire and, if it is safe to do so, approve you for treatment. You do not pay for your doctor consultation.
Step 2:	If you are approved for treatment you will be sent a text message asking you to log back into your secure patient record. You can pay for your weight loss medicine using a debit or credit card.
Step 3:	You will be sent a FREE SMS (text message) when a doctor has sent your prescription to your nominated pharmacy. We advise you to call your nominated pharmacy to check your prescription is ready, then collect your medicine.

Why are no prices shown for Anytime Pharmacy treatment services?

Under current UK advertising law we cannot show you prescription-only-medicine (POM) prices prior to a medical consultation with a registered doctor. Once your doctor has approved you for treatment all prices are clearly displayed. Your registration and medical consultation is free and you are under no obligation to purchase any treatment.

All of our prices are fully inclusive, and so for prescription medicines the prices include the cost of the consultation, the issuing of a private prescription, and dispensing of the medicine itself. There are no hidden extras.

How common is obesity?

Obesity is a very common condition. It is estimated that around 1 in 4 men and 1 in 4 women in the UK have a Body Mass Index greater than 30 and so are obese.

How does this weight-loss service work?

You can be prescribed a medicine called xenical (orlistat). Xenical is a prescription-only oral tablet that blocks the action of the fat-digesting lipase enzymes in the intestine. This stops around 30 percent of the fat you have eaten from being absorbed. It simply passes through your digestive system and you lose weight as a result. Your doctor will usually only consider medicine for weight-loss if changes to your diet and exercise are not effective. If you prescribed Xenical you will still need to follow a calorie-controlled diet and start an exercise plan while taking the medicine.

Your body needs a certain amount of energy (calories) each day. Excess energy is stored as fat. The more active you are, the more calories your body needs. By eating less than your body needs, exercising more and absorbing less fat by using xenical, you force your body to use its existing fat stores for energy. By burning excess fat, you lose weight.

Xenical is currently the only weight-loss medication approved in the UK for online consultation. Another drug, reductil (sibutramine) is also available but you must see your GP for a face-to-face consultation. Reductil works by inhibiting certain chemicals in the brain which in turn reduces appetite and enhances feelings of fullness. However, reductil can increase your blood pressure which is why it is not available through an online consultation.

How to take your weight-loss oral tablets

Your doctor will also provide you with assistance on how to take the medicine. One capsule is taken by mouth with liquid with each main meal that contains fat. This medicine can be taken three times daily during (or up to one hour after) each main meal that contains fat. This medicine can interfere with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (e.g., A, D, E, K), thus a daily multivitamin supplement containing these nutrients is recommended.

What are the potential side-effects (contraindications) of the weight-loss tablets?

All medication can cause side effects. Your weight-loss tablets can cause diarrhoea, loose stools and flatulence. The leaflet accompanying the treatment will list some of the rarer side-effects.

The weight-loss medicine can reduce the effectiveness of the oral contraceptive pill if you suffer from severe diarrhoea, so if you are on the pill you will need and additional method of contraception (such as condoms) whilst you are taking the medicine.

When answering your medical questionnaire for weight-loss medicine it is very important that you answer the questions truthfully to ensure your doctor has a full picture of your medical history before they prescribe you treatment.

How effective is the weight-loss medicine?

Clinical studies indicate that almost two-thirds of people treated with xenical weight-loss medicine plus a calorie-controlled diet successfully lost at least 5% of their body weight after 2 years. In comparison, only half of the people treated with a calorie-controlled diet alone managed to lose 5% of their weight. In addition to weight-loss, patients also benefit from reduced blood pressure, improved ratio of bad to good cholesterol (LDL/HDL cholesterol) and reduced risk or delay of the progression to type 2 diabetes in patients.

Who should not use this particular weight-loss service?

You should not request this treatment service if you are allergic to orlistat, if you suffer from a long-term condition in which the gut does not absorb sufficient nutrients (chronic malabsorption syndrome) or if your normal flow of bile from the liver to the intestines is blocked (cholestasis).

This service is not suitable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Alternate treatment options

You can naturally overcome obesity by following a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise. xenical is used to accelerate this process. However, to maintain your weight-loss you need to permanently change your eating and exercise habits.

Looking after your weight-loss medicine

This treatment is for YOU only. Do not give it to others. It may not suit them.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date stamped on the pack.

Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.

Where can you find out more information?

View Xenical Tablets Patient Information Leaflet - (0.75MB)