NHS Western Isles prescribing weight loss drugs at triple the rate of other health boards

Patients in the Western Isles are being prescribed drugs used for weight loss and diabetes at almost three times the rate of any other health board in Scotland.

A new report from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) found "significant variation" between Scotland's health boards prescribing new medicines, including drugs for heart attacks and strokes.

The biggest variation was seen in access to GLP-1 medication, which is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes but was approved for weight management in 2023.

NHS Western Isles said it was seeing "significant clinical benefit".

The ABPI said there were limitations to the data, but better planning could help overcome inequalities in access.

The Scottish government said it would "carefully consider" the findings of the report.

It said its health board reforms were intended to "improve equity of access to services and reduce the unwarranted variation and bureaucratic barriers we currently have in place".

These reforms include plans to reduce the number of mainland health boards from 14 to two, which leading doctors have opposed.

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