Who qualifies for treatment with Alli Orlistat?

Alli Orlistat is an over the counter (OTC) medication, which means that you can buy it from your pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription. Unlike paracetamol and aspirin you cannot just pick the medicine off the shelf and pay at the counter, instead your pharmacist will be responsible for issuing the weight loss medication in line with Royal Pharmaceutical Society Great Britain (RPSGB) guidelines and will assess your suitability for treatment before you can buy. The basic guidelines given by the RPSGB advise that Alli Orlistat must not be supplied to minors (under 18s) or to those whose BMI <28. However, a full assessment will be carried out by your pharmacist to make sure it is safe to provide this treatment.

For general information on weight loss click here

Xenical

What is Body Mass Index?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple ratio of height and weight, and is one tool used to determine whether a person is of a healthy weight for their height. It is a reliable tool, but in rare cases is not accurate, for example very muscular people may appear to be overweight as muscle weighs more than fat and pregnant women may also get an inaccurate measurement for obvious reasons. For the average person the BMI value will give a good indication of whether their current weight is ideal given their height.

BMI less than 18.5 – underweight
BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 – normal weight
BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 – overweight
BMI 30 or more - obese

Whilst BMI 25 or more is classified as being overweight and not within the ideal range, not all overweight patients qualify for treatment using Alli Orlistat under the current Royal Pharmaceutical guidelines for supplying the drug over the counter. Even if your BMI is 28 or more, your pharmacist will still have to exercise a certain amount of discretion in deciding whether to provide treatments and will do so following a consultation.

Getting Alli Orlistat from your pharmacy

When you buy Alli Orlistat 60mg your pharmacist should provide a consultation. This means they will take you into a private area where they can ask you questions. You will be asked to confirm your age, so if you are over 18 and do not look it bring some ID. The pharmacist should weigh you and measure your height to make sure your BMI is 28 or more and then they should ask you about your health: previous medical history including any conditions you have been treated for and medications you are currently taking (prescription, OTC and herbal), current diet and exercise habits, and previous use of weight loss drugs if relevant. The consultation process should not take more than 15-30 minutes after which you will be told if you can be sold Alli Orlistat. If you cannot buy the treatment the pharmacist should tell you which health reasons are contraindicated to this particular weight loss therapy; consequently you may be referred back to your GP to review other medications you are already taking or recommended another means for weight loss.
The consultation process is ideal for you as the patient to ask about how the treatment works, its potential side effects and your expectations of the medications. Your pharmacist should be able to advise you on treatment specific queries.

Points for the pharmacist to consider when prescribing Alli Orlistat:

Supply only to adults over the age of 18 – Alli has not been trialled in patients under the age of 18 and should not under any circumstances be used in children. Children with weight related problems should visit their GP and ask for a referral to a specialist.

BMI ≥ 28 – this medications is only licensed for use in patients of BMI 28 or more. Your pharmacist must weigh and measure your height every time they prescribe you Alli to make sure you fall within correct BMI range for prescription.

Calibrate scales – pharmacists should make sure the scales they use correctly display weight values providing a reliable reading.

Dosing instructions – pharmacists should advise patients on how to correctly take Alli Orlistat as per the manufacturer’s instructions and bearing in mind any special requirements the patient may have. Patients should take one 60mg capsule with every meal containing fats and omit the dose if they skip a meal or eat foods with absolutely no fat content. Patients should under no circumstances take more than the recommended dose.

Moderation of fat intake – Alli tablets should be used along with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet. Patient should to start this diet before beginning treatment. Pharmacists may wish to recommend the patient purchases the Alli Diet Plan book for help with eating the right foods when on the medications so as to maximise the weight loss potential of the medications and prevent the risk of any associated side effects. Side effects: the most troublesome side effects of Alli are gastrointestinal: flatulence, leakage of oily material and faecal urgency. When prescribing these capsules it is important to advise the patient of potential side effects and offer materials and advice to help the patient manage the side effects.

Alli Contraindications

Before prescribing Alli your pharmacist should check if there are is anything within your medical history which would make it unsafe for you to take this kind of medication. Whilst Alli is generally a safe treatment it should not be taken in the following cases:

Patient suffers from hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the ingredients of Alli
Chronic malabsorption syndrome
Cholestasis
Pregnancy
Breast-feeding
Concurrent treatment with warfarin or other oral anticoagulants
Concurrent treatment with ciclosporin

please consult your pharmacist for more information and advice on Alli