The service will cost eligible patients £260 a month, a Lloydspharmacy spokesperson told C+D yesterday (July 23).

As part of this service – which will be available in over 1,400 Lloydspharmacy branches across the country – patients will receive “a weight loss treatment [that] works to reduce appetite, regular consultations with a pharmacist and fully personalised digital health coaching”, Lloydspharmacy said in a statement earlier this week (July 22).

Patients will need to book a consultation with a healthcare assistant, who will confirm their body mass index (BMI) to verify if they are eligible for the service. They “must have a BMI of above 30 or a BMI of 27+ with a weight-related comorbidity to qualify”, Lloydspharmacy said.

Those considered eligible for the service will then book an appointment with a pharmacist for a full health check, during which they will have their heart rate checked and receive guidance on how to use their medication.

Commenting on the launch of the service, Mark Weston, B2B services manager at Lloydspharmacy’s parent company McKesson UK – said the multiple wants “our pharmacists to be able to utilise their skills more by being part of the solution” to obesity.

“This new service is about safely supporting patients through a medicated weight loss journey to help benefit their overall health and reduce their risk of developing serious conditions associated with being overweight,” he added.

Delivering the service during COVID-19

Lloydspharmacy was hoping to launch this service “earlier in the year” but had to postpone its introduction due to COVID-19.

The multiple feels it is now the right time to launch the service – which was introduced on July 22 – as lockdown is being eased across the UK, the spokesperson told C+D.

“Our teams are fully trained, they have personal protective equipment (PPE),” they added.

Pharmacists will wear PPE when they deliver this service, while patients will be asked to wear a face mask, “if possible”, while in the consultation room.

“The weekly follow ups in the first month are all done over the phone, it is only the monthly consultations after this that are done face to face,” the spokesperson added.

It is also timely to launch the service at a point when we are “entering probably the most challenging flu season, with fears of a second wave of COVID-19,” they said, adding that “giving people a chance to reduce their BMI now” and become healthier “is the right choice”.

Obesity is not only associated with a number of serious health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but also with “a higher risk for COVID-19 complications”, meaning it has “never been more important to manage and maintain a healthy weight”, the spokesperson said.