title: Herbal and nutrient complementary medicines for weight loss: community pharmacists' practices, attitudes, recommendations, information and education needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate pharmacists' herbal/nutrient weight loss complementary medicine (WLCM) practices in the context of other pharmacist weight management support practices (provision of lifestyle advice, orlistat and meal replacement treatments); and gain insight into their attitudes, recommendations, information and education needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacists from a randomly selected sample of 214 community pharmacies from different socioeconomic areas in the Greater Brisbane region, Australia, were invited to complete a survey to explore their weight management practices, with a specific focus on herbal/nutrient WLCM practices. Data collected from the sample group represented pharmacist practices within the metropolitan Greater Brisbane region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This survey achieved a 51% response rate. During weight management consultations, a high proportion of customers (37%) sought advice from community pharmacists relating to WLCMs relative to other weight management practices; however, only a small proportion (10%) of pharmacists recommended them. Most were also found to be using resources that may not be evidence-based or do not provide sufficient WLCMs' information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study results highlight the need for pharmacy professional bodies to develop evidence-based continuing education programmes to assist consumers with popular and widely available WLCMs products.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Meng-Wong
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Taing
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Eunice Tze Xin
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Gail M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Clavarino
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Mater Pharmacy Services, Mater Health Services, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Treasure M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: McGuire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D024382:Professional Role; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: clinical pharmacy; community pharmacy; evidence-based resources; herbal/nutrient weight loss complementary medicines