22 August 2008

Award-Winning Weight Management Programme Aims for Success in Two More PCT Areas

Six pharmacies in Plymouth and nine pharmacies across Cornwall have been recruited as part of two new weight management programmes, which were recently launched by UniChem in partnership with Plymouth Teaching PCT and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly PCT. Each of these new programmes will run for an initial 12 months and build on the success of the award-winning weight management initiative, developed in partnership with Coventry PCT.

Following the continued success of the Coventry initiative, which is now in its second year, the new programmes were officially launched in June 2008. The new initiatives have once again been partly funded by the Department of Health and are supported by an additional grant from healthcare company Abbott, to assist with facilitation of the service. Diagnostic supplies support is also being provided by A.Menarini, Omron Health Care, BHR Pharmaceuticals and Seca Scales.

UniChem Professional Services will project manage and facilitate the new services for the second year running. The first two months of the new programmes have already seen some early successes, with a growing number of patients being recruited through pharmacies in each of the PCT areas.

Sian Retallick of Hyde Park Pharmacy is participating in the project in the Plymouth PCT area and says: "As community pharmacists, we are ideally placed to build good, sustainable relationships with our patients and our services are focussed holistically around them. This weight management service helps us to combine our knowledge of medicines with a working understanding of patients’ lifestyles. This combination helps us facilitate interventions that can allow the patients to achieve optimal effects for their long-term healthcare."

Mandeep Mudhar, Director of Commercial Services, UniChem adds: “This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives in the Plymouth and Cornwall areas. UniChem is proud to be facilitating such initiatives in partnership with the respective stakeholders and is delighted by the continued support from the Department of Health. This success gives pharmacy an ever growing opportunity to be a key provider of weight management services and to help patients across the country manage this important condition.”

As with the Coventry initiative, the aim of these new programmes is to provide a weight management service for patients with a Body Mass Index of 30 – 38 and with at least one diagnosed or established risk factor such as Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes or an increased waist circumference. Each patient recruited will attend 11 follow up consultations over the 12 month period.

UniChem Professional Services is also currently working with four other PCTs in plans to launch similar weight management programmes in their respective areas.

COMMENTS FROM HEALTHCARE STAKEHOLDERS:

James Glanville, Primary Care Manager, Plymouth Teaching PCT:
“We are delighted that together with local pharmacies we will be able to offer this additional service to help local people to manage their weight. It's thanks to the successful partnership we have with local pharmacists, the Devon Local Pharmaceutical Committee and UniChem that we are pleased to be able to offer this new service in Plymouth offering greater choice for local people who want support in managing their weight. It will build on the good work already underway with the very successful community weight management clinic run at several sites across the City including Brickfields, the Local Care Centre at Mount Gould and the Cumberland Centre. Since this clinic started two years ago, over 300 people, with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35, have been encouraged to transform their lives."

Dr Peter Knibbs, Director of Primary Care Services for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly PCT:
"As well as being a national priority, addressing the problem of rising obesity levels is one of the strategic objectives for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT. It is an independent risk factor for many conditions, including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and certain cancers. This project will assess the impact that community pharmacists in Cornwall can make with regard to weight management, which complements other schemes. The aim of the project is to encourage lifestyle changes simply by eating healthier foods and engaging in regular exercise.”

For more information please contact:
Helena Bate, Communications Manager, UniChem, 0208 974 4044
Sanam Conway, Communications Executive, UniChem, 0208 974 4045