06 January 2009

Pharmacists weigh in – and help Coventry slim down

Pharmacists in Coventry proved they have the professional expertise to help obese people lose weight, as findings from the final report of the Coventry Pharmacy Weight Management project have shown.

The report, which follows the progress of 34 patients who completed the first year of the pharmacy-led scheme, has highlighted that thirty of the patients shed a combined total of around 20 stones (127.3kg), supported by regular visits to their local pharmacists to be weighed and get helpful tips.

Now the innovative project – launched in January 2007 by NHS Coventry and facilitated by UniChem, has been hailed a success by the Department of Health and other Primary Care Trusts around the country have set up similar schemes in their areas.

NHS Coventry and the Department of Health invested a total of £20,000 in the initiative. Training was provided for the participating pharmacists by UniChem’s Professional Services team in conjunction with Dr Terry Maguire. This funding was a small fraction of the £230 million a year that obesity costs the NHS in Coventry, where over half of the adult population are overweight and 23% ‘clinically obese’, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30.

Ten pharmacies across Coventry took part during the first year, recruiting obese patients identified as being at risk of developing long-term illnesses and then encouraging them to make healthy lifestyle changes, especially to their nutrition, diet and exercise habits.

Laurence Tressler, deputy head of medicines management for NHS Coventry, said: “It has long been recognised that the skills of community pharmacists have been under-used – so we set about asking them to help us to use their special relationship with their patients to find out if they could help us to tackle obesity.

“They have risen to the challenge magnificently – and we congratulate them and all of the patients who have lost weight through the programme.”

Richard Balcon, NHS services manager for UniChem, added: “The positive impact of the Coventry programme contributed to us securing funding from the Department of Health for five other similar projects across England and we are delighted by this ongoing success.

“This is an extremely valuable initiative, which has given pharmacy an ever-growing opportunity to be a key provider of weight management services and to help patients manage this important condition.”

Gul Root, principal pharmaceutical officer for the Department of Health, said: “Members of the public like coming to pharmacies to get advice and support in a friendly environment, improving access and choice.

“An important aspect of this service is the provision of healthy lifestyle advice and support for making changes to everyday activities, helping people to improve their diet, nutrition and increase physical activity, impacting not only on their weight but also their self-esteem and confidence and, more importantly, helping to improve their health, with a potential for long-term benefits.”

Twelve pharmacies in Coventry are now involved in the project and more than 100 patients are currently on the programme.

PATIENT CASE STUDIES:

Sheet metal worker Richard Wells, aged 56, has lost 2 stone 8lb (16kg) since signing up for the programme with pharmacist John Goes in August 2007.

Richard, who is 6ft 3in tall, was 21stone 12lb (139kg) at his first weigh-in but, with John’s guidance and encouragement, he cut out snacks like biscuits, crisps and cakes, and stepped up his walking and gardening exercise – and found he was losing a pound or two each week.

“Now I weigh 19 stone 4lb (123kg) and my blood pressure and cholesterol have come down,” he said.

“I feel more active, I don’t feel I’m about to bulge out of my clothes and I don’t get so sweaty in warm weather. Not only that, but through the changes to my diet, my wife, Alicia, has also lost two stone.

“Going to see John the pharmacist – at first every two weeks, then once a month and later once every two months – kept me on the straight and narrow because I knew I was going to be weighed and wanted to see progress.”

John Goes, proprietor of Goes Pharmacy in Holyhead Road, Coventry, said: “What made this project work was that, besides being weighed each time they came, we discussed patients’ lifestyle and worked out a plan with them to make lifestyle changes. I’m delighted for Richard Wells and the other patients who have been helped by this project – which should help to give them a healthier and longer life.”

Widower Paul Nicholls, aged 62, of Eastern Green Road, Coventry, has cut his weight from 16 stone 5lb (104.6kg) to 14 stone 2lb (90kg) since July 2007, thanks to the advice and encouragement received from the Mount Nod Pharmacy in Sutherland Avenue.

“My wife died in 2000. In the same year I was made redundant and, after that, my weight crept up – I was going to the chip shop more than I should and eating a lot of microwave meals,” said Mr Nicholls, who is 5ft 7in tall.

“Then I managed to get on to the programme at the pharmacy and they encouraged me to eat more fruit and vegetables, cut down on fatty food and exercise more.

“The pharmacist also got me to go to see my doctor because I had high blood pressure – and with the weight loss and the pills I am now taking, my blood pressure and cholesterol have come down. I feel a lot better, am playing golf again and am working as a self-employed gardener.”

Ash Hindocha, proprietor of the Mount Nod Pharmacy, said: “Some of our customers who took part were eating a lot of takeaways and curries but we discussed with them in-depth how they could achieve a nutritional balance and take more exercise.

“Some of them came up with brilliant ideas – for instance, instead of having two glasses of wine with a meal they would dilute it with sparkling water so that they felt they were having the same amount but, in fact, were having half.”

Grandmother Maureen Aspell, a 79-year-old retired nurse, from Green Lane, Coventry, said: “I’d tried many diets in the past without success – but Rose, at Boots, gave me the enthusiasm and helped me cut out cake, which was my downfall. I also reduced the portions I was eating and now eat more fruit and vegetables. I’ve gone down from 11 stone 4lb (72kg) to 10 stone 7lb (67kg) in 10 months.”

And Rose Collins, consultant pharmacist at Boots in The Precinct, Coventry, said: “The main aspect was the one-to-one contact. Most of the people knew what they needed to do – but it was the encouragement from us that helped them to achieve it.”

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