Commonly Used Medications That May Lead to Weight Gain
Target Audience: Pharmacist
Course Overview
Many widely used drugs may cause a patient to gain weight, which can then contribute to the patient being overweight or obese. For example, medications used to treat diabetes, neurologic disorders, psychiatric illnesses, hypertension, HIV, or inflammatory conditions are among the drugs that may contribute to weight gain. Excess weight is associated with poor health and can also impact a person’s mental health. Determining whether a drug is causing a patient to gain weight can be challenging because weight gain may be the result of other factors. Patients look to their healthcare providers to manage their weight within their treatment plans and help them identify the cause. Pharmacy teams can participate in this planning either independently or in collaboration with other healthcare providers.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Recognize common medications that may lead to weight gain.
- Discuss negative long-term impacts that may be associated with weight gain.
- Identify alternative or adjunctive treatments that may be used instead of or with medications that may cause weight gain.
- Outline nonpharmacologic strategies for weight reduction.
Faculty
I. Introduction
II. Obesity and its Prevalence in the United States
III. Drug Classes That May Cause Weight Gain
A. Atypical Antipsychotics
B. Antidepressants
C. Lithium
D. Antiepileptic AgentsMedications for Diabetes
E. Antihypertensive Agents
F. Corticosteroids
G. Antiretroviral Therapy
IV. Preventing Weight Gain with Lifestyle and Diet
V. The Role of the Pharmacy Team
VI. Summary
From March 6, 2024 through March 6, 2027, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in developing this activity: Amanda Mayer, PharmD, and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. Pamela Sardo was an employee of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals until March 2022 and has no conflicts of interest or relationships regarding the subject matter discussed. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature and it is solely designed to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must consult with their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization, for guidelines, protocols, and procedures they are to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses are constantly changing, and any person taking this course understands that such person must make an independent review of medication information prior to any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course, or course material.
Please ensure the device you plan to use meets these requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
- Supported Browsers: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera
- A connection to the internet
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.