Private Injectable Weight Loss Guidance and Template Letters
In line with Good Medical Practice guidance, it is the responsibility of the prescriber to make an assessment of the patient and judge their suitability to receive the prescription.
It is not acceptable for private providers to seek to transfer this responsibility to the patients NHS GP and GPC has issued updated guidance to pharmacists about the risks and responsibilities of this prescribing. This includes them seeking information from the patient directly or conducting video consultations etc...
The patient could be provided with a simple computer summary of their key medical history and medications to share with the private provider (free of charge) or they could be signposted to access their medical information via the NHS app.
However; while these private companies may change how they approach this prescribing in the future, we want patients to receive safe treatment and not come to harm. Important MDO guidance on these requests has been published and we would advise you read this:
It summarises:
"If it becomes clear that the weight loss medication is contraindicated, it probably isn't an option to ignore the letter.
Another dilemma arises if the patient has misrepresented their BMI or medical history to the pharmacy. In these circumstances, it is best to check with the patient about whether they consent to the information being disclosed."
The MDO guidance then advises how you may approach highlighting any concerns, including seeking consent from the patient.
We have created updated template letters to send back to the provider on receipt of such a letter and a template letter (which could be used as a text message or email) for your patients to inform them of the process including one where you do identify a contraindication and one where a patient does not provide consent to share.
Do be aware that provision of this type of information to a private organisation is not NHS work therefore, providing the information for a fee is an option.
Please note, while these private providers may state they have patient consent when they first write to you, you should seek evidence of this as if you share the medical summary of a patient without their consent, this would be a data breach.
The template letters are found by clicking this link and you can embed them in your clinical system and update them with your practice letterhead.
