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Boots has launched what it claims to be the first weight-loss aftercare programme from an online healthcare provider in the UK for patients coming off weight-loss drugs.
In a statement published on 20 October 2025, the multiple said it had launched the free 12-month programme for patients who have used the Online Doctor weight-loss service for at least six consecutive months.
Patients will be able to access unlimited support within that 12-month period from Boots Online Doctor clinicians via a secure messaging platform. They will also receive a monthly email with expert information, support and resources, with access to Boots Online Doctor digital resources, such as webinars and podcasts covering topics such as nutrition, workouts, mental health and wellbeing advice.
Patients will have access to the ‘Boots Online Doctor Weight Loss Tracker’ app, “which uses gamification to motivate people to maintain their goals”, Boots said.
Patients will also have access to face-to-face support via free weigh-ins and pharmacy advice in-store.
The programme was developed in response to guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “which recommends at least 12 months of structured follow-up to support maintaining a healthy weight”, the statement said.
In an update published on 5 August 2025, the NICE quality standard for overweight and obesity management said people who are stopping medicines for weight management or have completed a behavioural overweight and obesity management intervention should be given advice for maintaining changes and support for improving their health and wellbeing.
The multiple claimed the aftercare service is “the first of its kind from an online healthcare provider in the UK”.
However, Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said many community pharmacies “already provide the support service in different ways, and this is something that they have taken on as a matter of course”.
“This is in an informal capacity in that patients are encouraged to regularly speak with our pharmacists around nutrition, exercise, etc to ensure their choices are health related and not lifestyle led,” she said.
Commenting on the Boots’ service, Kieran Seyan, chief medical officer at Pharmacy2U, said the online pharmacy “absolutely support[s] interventions that help patients achieve and maintain their weight-loss goals safely and sustainably”.
“It’s encouraging to see initiatives that extend support beyond the initial stages of treatment, as continuity of care and ongoing monitoring are key to long-term success,” he added.
Speaking on Pharmacy2U’s offering, Seyan said: “We are constantly improving and evolving our service to help our patients achieve and maintain their weight-loss goals. We have some exciting developments planned, and we’re looking forward to sharing more about them in the near future.
“Our focus remains on delivering evidence-based, patient-centred care, supported by our exceptional clinical team”.
