People should be supported for up to a year after stopping weight-loss medications to prevent them from regaining weight, guidance has said.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said that patients should be given “structured advice and follow-up support” after ceasing treatment with medications such as Mounjaro or Wegovy to help them build “long-term behavioural habits”.
The regulator said that research showed that without the right help, many people gained weight again after stopping treatment.
An estimated 1.5 million people are taking weight-loss jabs in Britain, with the vast majority paying for them privately.
An estimated 240,000 people with the “greatest need” are expected to receive Mounjaro on the NHS over the next tree years.
The guidance on post-treatment care is for those offered the treatments on the health service, and so those receiving it privately will not be eligible for NHS support afterwards.
The new standard from Nice says that patients should be monitored for up to a year after treatment, with extra support offered if needed, including online communities and family-based interventions.
Nice says support should help patients to build “long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support — from online communities to family led interventions and local activities”.
Professor Jonathan Benger, deputy chief executive and chief medical officer at Nice, said: “Successful weight management doesn’t end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme. We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they’ve made.
“This new standard makes sure services provide that vital continuity of care, and it supports the NHS ten-year plan to shift from a ‘sickness service’ to a genuine health service focused on prevention.”
Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer and deputy chief executive of Nice
NICE
Dr Rebecca Payne, chairwoman of Nice’s quality standards advisory committee, added: “Weight management is a long-term journey, not a short-term fix.
“The evidence is clear that advice and support for maintaining weight after stopping medicines or completing behavioural interventions can help prevent weight regain and enable people to experience lasting benefits.
“We’ve seen excellent examples of services that already provide comprehensive discharge planning and ongoing support.
“This quality standard will help ensure all healthcare providers adopt these best practices, giving every person the best chance of maintaining their weight management success over the long term.”
Experts have urged pharmacies supplying the drugs privately to also take heed of the guidance.
Henry Gregg, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association said: “Pharmacies take their responsibilities seriously to provide full wraparound support to patients trying to achieve a healthy weight.
“We know that although medication can be effective in speeding up weight loss in some people, it is not a silver bullet and patients need to make long-term lifestyle changes to make their weight loss sustainable.
“The current NHS roll out of weight-loss treatment is very small, with only a handful of patients receiving it, and it will continue to be the case that the vast majority of eligible patients will be seen by their pharmacy.
“Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges of our generation.
“If the government want to scale up the NHS roll out to help more patients, they should use the massive skills and expertise of pharmacies and fund them to reach millions more of those most in need of help.”
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