This update will provide a brief review of Health Canada approved obesity medications. There will be a discussion regarding medication availability, generic formulations and new medications on the horizon. Strategies for applying to insurance companies, enrollment in research trials and practical side effect management will be discussed. A handout/cheat sheet will be provided for assisting in prescribing obesity medications.
Objectives:
1. Provide an update on Health Canada approved obesity medications
2. Provide strategies for application to insurance companies
3. Highlight opportunities for enrolling patients in research trials
4. Practical side effect management.
SPEAKERS:
Trish Rawn, RPh
Trish Rawn is a pharmacist and an academic detailer with the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP). She is also the Clinical Service Director for the Academic Detailing service at CEP.
She provides academic detailing services to Toronto and the North Simcoe Muskoka region. Trish is highly skilled in critical literature appraisal, academic detailer training, tool development, and interprofessional relationship building.
Heather Watson RN(EC) BA BScN MN
Nurse Practitioner-Paeds, Certified Bariatric Educator
Heather has always had a passion for nursing since graduating from the University of Toronto, over 30 years ago. Due to the job market at that time, she was forced to be versatile in her job pursuits. At the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, she worked in almost every department including trauma, bone marrow transplant, blood transfusion clinic, and Pneumovax research. After completing her Master’s degree and Nurse Practitioner diploma, she found a home in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
She loved her career as a Neonatal NP however after 16 years, hospital politics, workload and working 18-hour night shifts took the fun out of her job. After retiring Heather became a Personal Exercise Trainer and a Yoga Teacher. She was a dismal failure at retirement and with onslaught of CoVid, she went back to work. She took a leap from the neonatal population to the adult population and started working in a family practice unit, performing well person care. There was a notable gap in practice between the medical treatment of chronic diseases and the need for lifestyle counselling.
Heather started a weight management clinic. The clinic became very busy and popular over the next 18 months. The business model of the Family Practice Clinic changed, and a family doctor replaced Heather’s nurse practitioner position. Thus, the Dundas Weight Loss Clinic was born in 2022. Interesting nursing jobs that Heather has held are: day care nose swabbing nurse for the development of the Pneumovax vaccine and Covid swabber for Netflix and Disney.