Weight loss drug to be sold over the counter

The weight loss drug Xenical is now available without a prescription.

New Zealand is the second country to approve the drug's use without prescription - Australia reclassified it last May.


Xenical will be sold only to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more after an initial face-to-face consultation with a pharmacist, and all customer details must be recorded.

Concerns were raised last year about making the drug prescription free by GPs and groups working with people with eating disorders.

They believed pharmacists were not as well qualified as doctors to assess an individual's health needs and worried that people with bulimia would abuse the drug.

The Ministry of Health's medicines classification committee, which had decided Xenical fitted the "safety profile" for over-the-counter sales, deferred its recommendation until a training programme for pharmacists was set up with the guarantee of face-to-face consultations.

Richard Townley, general manager of the New Zealand College of Pharmacists, welcomed the change and said pharmacists were often the first port of call for people looking for a "weight loss solution".

About 900 pharmacists had completed the college's weight-management training course, he said.

Professor Jim Mann, of Otago University's human nutrition and medicine department, said the treatment could complement dietary changes and regular exercise for people who were significantly overweight or obese.

Xenical, which prevents the body absorbing fat, has been used by about 60,000 New Zealanders since April 1998. It costs about $160 for a month's supply.

Information about Xenical was available at the Girls Day Out in Auckland at the weekend, but a pharmacist working at the Pharmacy Direct stand said most people were more interested in free condoms and shampoo than finding out about Xenical.

She had received some queries from women, mostly aged about 25 and over, already using the drug and others who hadn't used it but were keen to learn more about it.

Stuart Knight, sales and marketing director for Roche Products (New Zealand), said Xenical customers could enrol in an ongoing support programme, which included advice from registered dietitians, and encouraged physical activity.