The government should agree contracts with pharmaceutical companies and large pharmacy chains or other providers to supply weight-loss medication at scale, a think tank has suggested.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said the current NHS planned rollout by GPs was ‘unlikely to touch UK obesity rates, which look set to rise faster over this period than the NHS can deliver’.

And it suggested that the GP delivery of tirzepatide recommended by NICE was 'wildly resource intensive' and 'hugely expensive'.

Instead, it suggested that the government agree national contracts 'with a handful of private providers' that already offer weight-loss jabs, commissioning them to both prescribe and provide wraparound diet and exercise support where required.

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These providers would have to meet ‘strict clinical governance standards’ and should have broad population coverage, the ability provide a 'predominantly' digital-first model of care, and the capacity to provide face-to-face care where required, the thinktank said.

All patients eligible under MHRA licensing – rather than the current more limited NICE eligibility – could then access the medication either through paying for it themselves, co-paying through employer schemes or accessing it for free if they were eligible for free prescriptions, it added in a report published this week.

And contracts with pharmaceutical companies would enable the medication to be sourced more cheaply, the Tony Blair Institute suggested.

Responding to the report, community pharmacy leaders have highlighted the success of the sector in providing safe and effective weight-management services with wraparound diet and exercise support.

But the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) has suggested that weight-loss services should only be delivered face-to-face, in order to ensure patient safety.

An IPA spokesperson told The Pharmacist: 'Pharmacies are best placed to deliver weight loss services and provide advice on healthy lifestyle. To ensure patient safety, weight-loss jabs (service) should only be provided by a healthcare professional in a face-to-face setting.'

Dr Nick Thayer, head of policy at the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), which contributed to the report, said: 'Weight-loss medicines have the potential to significantly reduce the burden of obesity on the NHS and transform the lives of millions.

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'The economic impact of allowing many to return to work, offers the government a vital avenue to increase growth and workforce productivity.

'Community pharmacies have a proven track record of delivering preventative healthcare interventions at scale. Building on the expertise developed through private services, community pharmacies would be well placed to deliver wraparound weight loss care, to increase access where needed.'

NHSE 'ambitious to explore better methods of delivery' of weight-loss jabs

Responding to the report, an NHSE spokesperson said: 'Weight-loss drugs, such as tirzepatide, are an important tool in helping people lose weight while also reducing the risk of serious long-term conditions, with all the health and economic benefits that brings.

'They need to be prescribed by a healthcare professional alongside programmes that help people lose weight and live healthier lives by making changes to their diet and physical activity.

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'It’s also crucial that they are prioritised for those who need them most, but the NHS is ambitious to explore better methods of delivery.

'This is why more than 200,000 people will be eligible for weight-loss drugs over the next three years, while we look at options to accelerate roll out to even more people in future.'