24/04/2026
We have published the findings of our themed review into the provision of weight management services by pharmacies.
As demand for these services continues to grow, the review highlights the importance of ensuring that appropriate safeguards and governance arrangements are consistently in place to protect patient safety.
The review sets out clear expectations for pharmacy owners and superintendent pharmacists, including:
• Ensuring prescribing decisions are based on robust and appropriate clinical assessments
• Verifying key patient information, rather than relying solely on self-reported data
• Maintaining effective two-way communication between the prescriber and the person receiving care
• Strengthening governance frameworks, including audit, risk management, and accountability processes
These measures are particularly important in the context of remote and online service delivery, where additional risks may arise.
Pharmacies providing weight management services must ensure that care is person-centred, clinically appropriate, and delivered in line with our standards for registered pharmacies.
We will continue to engage with the sector to support improvement and will take action where necessary to ensure patient safety is not compromised.
Further details can be found in the full report. >> https://ow.ly/yVxb50YP4us
