HOT TOPIC: Xenical sold over the counter

[Pseudonym]

From the NZ Herald:

Weight loss drug to be sold over the counter

15.03.05

by Rebecca Walsh

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.

Is this move good or bad? Discuss...

[Cornfed]

I wouldn't have thought taking a drug to prevent the metabolism of fats would be a good idea for weight trainers, or anyone else for that matter. It would starve the body of a valuable nutrient and energy source while making users more dependent on carbs and therefore fatter over time. It sounds like a rip-off as well.

[jono]

its not good. why? because it tells people you just take a bunch of pills and everything will be ok, and you wont have to do any hard work. its pathetic.

[Growth]

its not good. why? because it tells people you just take a bunch of pills and everything will be ok, and you wont have to do any hard work. its pathetic.

:stupid:

[Pseudonym]

That was my initial reaction... It's the old story of treating the symptom, not the cause. Surely it would be better to teach them better nutrition instead?

Then I heard that Xenical works by giving you the shits if you eat too much fat (sorry, I tried to think of a more delicate way of putting it, but I failed!).

Now, I'm sure it's not quite like in cartoons where there's a loud gurgle, their eyeballs bulge suddenly, and they dash off to the nearest loo... but I don't imagine it would be pleasant, all the same. So maybe it would actually train them to clean up their diet, for fear of the consequences?!

:twisted:

[Cornfed]

It might train them to avoid fat. Why is that good? Humans are adapted to metabolize fat. Better train them to avoid processed carbs (as well as doctors and pharmacists).

As for teaching them better nutrition, there's no profit in that, especially if it works. Anyway, does the establishment medical system even know anything about nutrition, or care?

[jono]

It might train them to avoid fat. Why is that good? Humans are adapted to metabolize fat. Better train them to avoid processed carbs (as well as doctors and pharmacists).

As for teaching them better nutrition, there's no profit in that, especially if it works. Anyway, does the establishment medical system even know anything about nutrition, or care?

actually there is profit in it because: wont have to pay for treatment of diabeties patients in hospitals, and other conditions that are running the health system into the ground, stoping people who actually NEED treatment from getting it.

[Cornfed]

^ There's profit to the public, but not to the medical-industrial complex.

[fatty]

Now, I'm sure it's not quite like in cartoons where there's a loud gurgle, their eyeballs bulge suddenly, and they dash off to the nearest loo... but I don't imagine it would be pleasant, all the same. So maybe it would actually train them to clean up their diet, for fear of the consequences?!

:twisted:

from the people I know that have been on it, it IS a lot like that.

rotfl

Well, not so sure about the eyeballs bulging, but otherwise sounds much the same :grin:

[NIGHTHEAT]

This drug is effective for obese people with poor diets consisting of potato chips, pizza and KFC. They will lose an appreciable amount of fat purely out of forced caloric restriction, but will never become healthy or lean from the drug alone

I've used it before to minimise damage from cheat days.. you guys are right on with the runny shits, not very fun

[hrdcor]

You may remeber a product called Chitosan, well this product is much the same thing, basicly the product(xenical)traps the fats in your stomach thus cocooning them so they can not be absorped, so then they are passed !!! The problem with this is the product has no way of telling what is a good fat or a bad fat at this level, hence Saturated fats along with your essential fats are traped and passed. This to me is a warning sighn in its self, plus the nutrition advise given to a individual upon a "Counter Consultation" based on a 1 Day course given by the company whom are trying to sell the product is just a joke, in all honesty most of you reading this are more savy in nutrition than the pharmacist, also how many people do you think are going to change there life style habits via a quick talk to the chemist,first you gotta have a understanding on how,why,when,what before you can make ongoing healthy changes!!,because with out the knowlledge it all just meaningless!! Its all about the dollar in the long run.