Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has said it is 'open to discussing' how weight-loss injections could be delivered through community pharmacies on the NHS, following rumoured plans reported in the national media.

Reports in The Times, The Telegraph and the Daily Mail today suggest that the approach may be piloted by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).

The DSTI confirmed to The Pharmacist that the reports were 'speculative', but CPE said it would be open to discussing such a plan.

Alastair Buxton, CPE director of NHS services told The Pharmacist today that a weight management service was one of CPE's service development priorities.

And he said the negotiator would be 'open to discussing the practicalities of the rumoured plans with the government'.

'Community pharmacies are well placed to offer support for weight loss,' he said.

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But he noted that 'any new service would need to be carefully considered given the community pharmacy sector’s current capacity and tight finances'.

Olivier Picard, National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chair, said that delivering weight-loss injections community pharmacies 'has the potential to make sure that people who need these treatments the most could access them for free'.

'Access to medicines that could cut damaging levels of obesity shouldn’t be restricted to those who can pay or disadvantage deprived communities,' he said.

'Pharmacies are the most accessible part of the NHS, and there are many pharmacies in deprived areas despite recent challenges,' he added.

And he highlighted that many community pharmacists running private weight-loss services already have 'extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care including lifestyle advice'.

'Pharmacists are experts in medication... they are best placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, with the right funding support,' Mr Picard said.

Company Chemists’ Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison also supported the suggestion, provided it was funded appropriately.

'Offering a weight loss service through community pharmacy, which includes the supply of GLP-1 medicines, would significantly widen access for patients and could help to significantly reduce levels of obesity nationwide.

'It will be a great step towards delivering greater preventative care — one of the three shifts of the government’s plans for the NHS.

'Community pharmacy has a proven track record of delivering preventative healthcare interventions at scale, such as vaccinations and blood pressure screenings. If appropriately funded, this is a service community pharmacy would be well placed to deliver,' he said.

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And Dr Charlotte Refsum, director of health at the Tony Blaire institute said the pilot would be 'a great step in the right direction' for making anti-obesity medication more widely available.

Previously, other services originally delivered on a private basis by pharmacies have later been taken up by NHS commissioning, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Responding to the reports on behalf of the DSTI and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a spokesperson said the government would 'be looking across the board at how these drugs can be made available to more people who can benefit from them', as part of the intended shift 'from sickness to prevention'.

'The NHS is already tackling obesity in innovative ways, including through community care models and digital technologies, to help deliver these drugs as part of a rounded package of care,' the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) manufacturer Eli Lilly told The Pharmacist: 'Lilly has ongoing dialogue with the government about the opportunities to improve obesity care in the UK. This is not specifically linked to prescription of Lilly’s obesity medicine.'

And a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Wegovy (semaglutide) said it 'welcomed initiatives that improve access to obesity treatments for those who need them most'.

'We believe that expanding treatment options and removing barriers to proven medications can help more people achieve their health goals,' they added.

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Last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved tirzepatide for use in NHS primary care to treat eligible patients with obesity.

But it agreed to a limited initial roll out for the first three years of the drug being available on the NHS in England, after which the plan will be reviewed.

This followed concerns raised after the drug's initial approval about the burden its delivery, which was planned through general practice, would place on already 'overburdened' GP services.