Title
Operation Weight Loss: Impact of a Pharmacist Guided Weight Loss Medication Management Service for Veterans
Authors
Amanda Collett-Burgdorf, Fayza Griffin, Brittney Howard
Practice Site
Fayetteville NC VA Coastal Health Care Center
BackgroundEvaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led weight loss medication management service in a Veteran population.MethodsThis was a retrospective, prospective quality improvement initiative. Eligible Veterans with verifiable participation in the comprehensive lifestyle intervention (CLI) provided by our facility, MOVE!, were prescribed one of the following five medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss: naltrexone/bupropion, orlistat, phentermine/topiramate, semaglutide, or tirzepatide. Veterans were excluded if they were not established with a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care provider. Data was collected via the Computerized Patient Records System (CPRS). Post-medication initiation, Veterans were assessed by a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) at 4-week intervals to assess tolerability and weight loss. Results47 Veterans were included. 28 (59.57%) achieved ≥ 5% TWBL.
By medication:
- semaglutide (n=32): 59.38% achieved ≥5% TBWL, 90.63% ≥3% TBWL
- tirzepatide (n=6): 83.33% achieved ≥5% TBWL
- phentermine/topiramate (n=6): 50% achieved ≥5% TBWL
- orlistat (n=2): 50% achieved ≥5% TBWL
- naltrexone/bupropion (n=1): 0% achieved ≥3% TBWL
ConculsionsPharmacist-led medication management of anti-obesity medications appeared effective in achieving the primary endpoint of 5% TBWL or greater at 12 weeks after medication initiation. As anticipated, semaglutide and tirzepatide displayed the highest success rates. One limitation of this quality improvement initiative was the small sample sizes for some medications, namely the oral medication options. The findings align with clinical trial data and highlight the role of pharmacists in optimizing weight loss therapy. Future initiatives may focus on assessing success rates beyond 3 months to identify the long-term benefit of a pharmacist-led weight management medication service.
