title: Incorrect use and limited weight reduction of orlistat (Xenical) in clinical practice.  A cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prescribing of the antiobesity drug orlistat in relation to the approved indication and its weight-reducing effect in clinical practice during the first 3 months of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymous postal questionnaire survey to prescribers of orlistat concerning a random sample of 1000 of 20,000 prescriptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Useful information was obtained for 789 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary and secondary care in Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Beginning and continued treatment according to the approved indication. Dropout from treatment. Weight loss during treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four percent of the patients were prescribed orlistat despite having a body mass index (BMI) less than 28 kg/m2. Only 24% of the patients had a diet period with a weight loss of 2.5 kg or greater before the start of therapy. Half of the patients with a weight loss of less than 5% after 3 months continued the treatment. Ten percent gained weight or had no weight loss at all while 43% lost less than 5% in weight. At least one-quarter of the patients stopped the treatment within the observation period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orlistat was not prescribed according to the approved indication in the majority of cases. The dropout rate was high and most patients had minor gain from the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Medical Products Agency, Uppsala, Sweden. bjorn.beermann@mpa.se
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beermann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Melander
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Säwe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ulleryd
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahlqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077403:Orlistat; D013548:Sweden; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D007783:Lactones; D000077403:Orlistat