Weight-loss jab which curbs appetite now available at Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy
A weight-loss injection which suppresses people's appetite is now available at Boots.
The injection has been rolled out in the high street pharmacy giant and chemist chain, which has its head office based in Nottingham.
Saxenda works by mimicking a hormone called GLP1, that is released after eating a filling meal. The jab suppresses your appetite by posing as a hormone.
The jabs are now at Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy, and you will have to apply for an online consultation.
The jabs were first approved in the UK in 2017 and initially only available via private prescription.
However, recently it has been made available on the NHS under certain strict criteria.
How can I get weight-loss jab at pharmacies?
To get access to the weight-loss jab at the likes of Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy, you have to meet certain criteria that changes depending on the individual.
In most cases, you have to be 30 or above on the Body Mass Index scale and have tried other methods of losing weight before being accepted for Saxenda.
During the online consultation, you will be asked about your medical history and symptoms. Your answers help assess your suitability for treatment.
If accepted, you can pick up your jabs in store or have them delivered for free to your home. Saxenda comes in a 3ml pre-filled injection pen, with a single pen lasting 17 days and a pack of three covering 4.5 weeks.
A pack of three pens costs £150 and a pack of five is priced at £240.
How does the weight-loss jab work?
Patients inject themselves with semaglutide, which suppresses the appetite through mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released after eating.
The jab is intended to suppress a person's appetite with patients now able to access prescriptions at their local pharmacies after Britain was confirmed as the most obese nation in Europe.
This makes people feel full, meaning they eat less and lose weight.
When combined with a low-fat food plan and modern levels of activity, users of Saxenda should expect to lose 5% of their body weight over three months.
However, it is important to note Saxenda is a weight-loss aid and not a cure that works without major dietary and lifestyle changes.
Obesity crisis
Statistics have shown that one in three children leave primary school obese.
Additionally, it is estimated that one in four adults are overweight and according to the government it is estimated that the NHS spent £6.1 billion on overweight and obesity-related ill-health in 2014 to 2015.
The overall cost of obesity to wider society is estimated to be £27 billion.