Feb 2012

A weight management service can help you meet both your professional and business objectives. The first step to setting up your service is to recognize the business opportunity as well as the professional contribution you can make to the health of your community. Pharmacy is a primary healthcare provider for weight management services and the widespread need for effective weight control will direct customers to the pharmacy providing the most effective service. Properly run, a weight management programme will substantially increase footfall and lead to extended customer loyalty. Decide on a service specification that will provide the evidence of efficacy, the equipment you need and the SOPs, staff training and continued support for your programme.
You need to think about how you bring the customers in. In-store posters and leaflets, local GP surgeries and sports centres and tie-ins with national campaigns are all good sources of new business, but the best source of new people is the impact successful dieters have on their relatives, friends and acquaintances. Paying proper attention to the protocols of the programme will pay off big time.
And don’t forget about evaluating your service and the positive health outcomes to your population. Gathering evidence for this puts you in a strong position for further funding from local commissioning groups and getting involved in the Healthy Living Pharmacy initiative.
Lipotrim Pharmacy supports you in all the above, from training and CPD, to tools to promote your service and right through
to evidence gathering thanks to the Lipotrim Patient Tracker.

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