Weight management

Struggling with weight management? You don't have to face it alone. At Gilbride Pharmacy, our Weight Management Service is designed to assist you in achieving your weight loss goals. Losing weight to improve your health can be a daunting road for many. 

Weight management

Struggling with weight management? You don't have to face it alone. At Gilbride Pharmacy, our Weight Management Service is designed to assist you in achieving your weight loss goals. Losing weight to improve your health can be a daunting road for many. 


Your local Gilbride Pharmacy is here to support you by giving you tips about effective weight loss and management while guiding you to a healthy eating lifestyle and maintaining your weight.

 

We offer the following options:

  • Weight loss injection (Wegovy)
  • Weight loss injection (Saxenda)
  • Weight loss injection (Mounjaro)
  • Weight loss capsules (Orlistat)
  • Weight loss tablets (Mysimba)

Visit Us

Take control of your health journey with Gilbride Pharmacy. Select your preferred branch to visit their page and inquire about this service or simply walk in when it suits your schedule.

 

Details

Gilbride Pharmacy provides a comprehensive solution for achieving sustained and healthy weight loss. Benefit from ongoing advice and support, coupled with prescription medication treatment. Wegovy/Saxenda/Mounjaro act on areas of the brain which are involved in regulating your appetite. It increases feelings of fullness, reduces feelings of hunger and reduces the preference for high-fat foods. It reduces blood sugar by promoting the release of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. When combined with a calorie-controlled diet and increased exercise, it has proven to be effective in supporting weight loss.

An unhealthy lifestyle can contribute to various health conditions like type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

You are eligible for our Weight Management Service if you are:

  • Aged between 18 to 84
  • Have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and over
  • Have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 and over, along with a diagnosis of a condition exacerbated by weight gain, such as a heart condition

Your Appointment

Your appointment will include a thorough consultation, where our experienced pharmacist will ensure the medication is suitable for you and discuss the options available to you.

You will be able to ask any questions or discuss any concerns you have  and you will be shown how to use the medication safely and effectively

You will be provided with all the appropriate equipment needed including needles and a safety bin to discard used needles.

Further Appointments

You will need to book an appointment with our experienced healthcare provider each time you require further medication. This will ensure that the medication is still safe and suitable for you. Appointments can be made in-person, over the phone or online.

 

 

Mounjaro

Mounjaro is a medicine that contains an active substance called Tirzepatide. It is used for weight management including weight loss and weight management. It should be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and an increase in physical activity. It is licensed for ages 18 to 84.

Mounjaro is a weight loss injection pen and is also the most effective in clinical trials. It lowers both body weight and body fat mass. Clinical studies show that Mounjaro reduces energy intake and appetite by increasing feelings of satiety (fullness), decreasing feelings of hunger, and decreasing food cravings.

You may not be suitable for Mounjaro if

  • you have severe problems with food digestion or food remaining in your stomach for longer than normal (including severe gastroparesis).

  • you have ever had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas which may cause severe pain in the stomach and back which does not go away).

  • you have a problem with your eyes (diabetic retinopathy or macular oedema).

  • you are using a sulphonylurea (another diabetes medicine) or insulin for your diabetes, as low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) can occur.

Warnings and Precautions

  • When starting treatment with Mounjaro, in some cases you may experience loss of fluids/dehydration, e.g. due to vomiting, nausea and/or diarrhoea, which may lead to a decrease in kidney function. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, headache, fatigue, infrequent urination of small amounts, and dry mouth, lips and eyes. It is important to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.
  • Acute pancreatitis is a rare side effect and  treatment must be discontinued if this occurs.  Further information can be found on https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acute-pancreatitis/
  • Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy or in women of childbearing potential not using contraception. It is recommended to use contraception while using this medicine. If you wish to become pregnant, treatment should be discontinued at least 1 month before a planned pregnancy. 

Dose

The starting dose is 2.5mg once a week for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks this should be increased to 5mg and then if needed it can be increased in 2.5mg increments every 4 weeks up to a maximum of 15mg weekly.

How to use Mounjaro

Mounjaro is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) of your stomach area (abdomen) or upper leg (thigh) or upper arm. You may need help from someone else if you want to inject in your upper arm.

If you want to do so, you can use the same area of your body each week. But be sure to choose a different injection site within that area.

Read the “Instructions for Use” for the pen carefully before using Mounjaro KwikPen.

Missed doses

If a dose is missed, it should be administered as soon as possible within 4 days after the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, you can then resume your regular once weekly dosing schedule.

Changing the dosing schedule

The day of weekly administration can be changed, if necessary, as long as the time between two doses is at least 3 days.

 

Wegovy

Wegovy is a medicine for weight loss and weight maintenance that contains the active substance Semaglutide. It is similar to a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after a meal. It should be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and an increase in physical activity. It is licensed for ages 18 to 74.

 Wegovy is a weight loss injection pen that works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry and experience less craving for food. This will help you eat less food and reduce your body weight. 

You may not be suitable for Wegovy if

  • you have severe problems with food digestion or food remaining in your stomach for longer than normal (including severe gastroparesis).

  • you have ever had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas which may cause severe pain in the stomach and back which does not go away).

  • you have a problem with your eyes (diabetic retinopathy or macular oedema).

  • you are using a sulphonylurea (another diabetes medicine) or insulin for your diabetes, as low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) can occur.

Warnings and Precautions

  • When starting treatment with Wegovy, in some cases you may experience loss of fluids/dehydration, e.g. due to vomiting, nausea and/or diarrhoea, which may lead to a decrease in kidney function. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, headache, fatigue, infrequent urination of small amounts, and dry mouth, lips and eyes. It is important to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.
  • Acute pancreatitis is a rare side effect and  treatment must be discontinued if this occurs.  Further information can be found on https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acute-pancreatitis/
  • Wegovy must not be used during pregnancy or in women of childbearing potential not using contraception. It is recommended to use contraception while using this medicine. If you wish to become pregnant, treatment should be discontinued at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy. 

Dose

The starting dose is 0.25mg once a week for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks this should be increased to 0.5mg and then if needed it can be increased in  increments every 4 weeks up to a maximum of 2.4mg weekly.

How to use Wegovy

Wegovy is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection) of your stomach area (abdomen) or upper leg (thigh) or upper arm. You may need help from someone else if you want to inject in your upper arm.

If you want to do so, you can use the same area of your body each week. But be sure to choose a different injection site within that area.

Read the “Instructions for Use” for the pen carefully before using Wegovy.

Missed doses

If a dose is missed, it should be administered as soon as possible within 5 days after the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, you can then resume your regular once weekly dosing schedule.

Changing the dosing schedule

The day of weekly administration can be changed, if necessary, as long as the time between two doses is at least 3 days.