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Pharmacotherapy for Weight Management in the VHA
Todd P Semla1,2, Chris Ruser3,4, Chester B Good5,6,7
1Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, 1st Ave. - 1 Block N. of Cermak Rd, Building 37 (10P4P), Hines, IL, 60141, USA. Todd.semla@va.gov.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|March 9, 2017
Summary
Weight management medications (WMM) are underutilized in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Addressing patient, provider, and system barriers can improve appropriate WMM use for veterans.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Pharmacotherapy
- Obesity Medicine
Background:
- Weight management medications (WMM) are underutilized as adjuncts to lifestyle interventions.
- In fiscal years 2014-2015, only 2% of eligible veterans in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) received a WMM prescription.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop evidence-based recommendations and strategies for appropriate WMM use in the VHA.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to prescribing WMM within the VHA.
Main Methods:
- A State of the Art Conference workgroup focused on pharmacotherapy.
- Identified patient, prescriber, and health system barriers and facilitators.
Main Results:
- Barriers include concerns about safety/efficacy, limited primary care involvement, restrictive criteria, and provider skepticism.
- Facilitators include education, increased primary care engagement, relaxed criteria, and navigation systems.
Conclusions:
- Addressing identified barriers is crucial for increasing appropriate WMM utilization.
- Recommendations are applicable beyond the VHA to other health organizations.
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