Research

Adherence

Primary care providers' lack of familiarity with anti-obesity medications (AOMs) and concerns about drug safety are primary barriers to prescribing pharmacotherapy for obesity.

If you are a provider, your hesitation to prescribe weight loss medication due to 'safety concerns' or 'lack of familiarity' is a major barrier to patient care. The paper suggests that increased familiarity with newer, highly effective AOMs (like semaglutide) and updated training can overcome these barriers. You should prioritize updating your knowledge on current pharmacotherapy guidelines to ensure patients receive evidence-based treatment.

ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
The most frequently cited reasons for not prescribing medications for obesity were lack of familiarity with AOMs and concerns about drug safety.
Marjanna Smith et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2023

Why this rating

Based on a large cross-sectional survey (n=1168) with known convenience sampling bias and self-reported data, lacking objective clinical outcomes.

Source

Health care providers' attitudes and counseling behaviors related to obesity

Marjanna Smith et al. · Obesity Science & Practice · 2023

DOI 10.1002/osp4.686

cross_sectional · n=1168Cited 5×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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