AAH Pharmaceuticals' Healthwatch Weight Management Service a Success
04 February 2008
Iain McClarty, manager of Farnsfield Pharmacy in Newark, Nottinghamshire, runs a successful weight management scheme as part of a range of Healthwatch services provided to him by AAH.
The first two ‘graduates’ of Iains weight management scheme have just finished after 12 weeks, losing three and a half stone, equivalent to more than 25 bags of sugar, between them. Iain said: “It’s not about a diet as such; it’s finding out what healthy foods people like and teaching them to combine exercise with a low fat, low sugar intake.”
The Healthwatch Weight Management service includes a training resource pack for pharmacists and support staff containing assessment and patient record forms and useful information leaflets. Iain has also added his own resource pack for his customers containing recipes and food alternatives.
During the first appointment with the customer Iain checks their blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar levels and body mass index (BMI). He said: “It is important to make sure you talk through with the customer the reasons why they want to lose weight and to set a realistic target for them. They all fill in a food diary and this helps to understand bad eating habits and how to improve them.”
Iain plans to catch up with the first two successes in four to six weeks time to make sure that they are sticking to their new lifestyles.
Christine James, pharmacy marketing manager for AAH Pharmaceuticals said: “The Healthwatch Weight Management service provided by AAH is increasingly popular as tackling obesity becomes a high priority for the NHS.
“We aim to help pharmacists any way in which we can and Iain at Farnsfield has shown this to be the case.”
For further press information, please contact:
Alison Readings
Gravitas Public Relations, 7 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GLOS GL50 1QB
Tel: 01242 211000
