Pharmacists are critical in supporting GLP-1 therapy success through proactive expectation-setting.
In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA, chief pharmacy officer at Scripta Insights, highlighted the essential role pharmacists play in setting patient expectations, managing side effects, and optimizing therapy with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. She emphasized that proactive counseling before the first dose is critical to long-term success and adherence.
“Pharmacists are becoming the operational glue in GLP-1 care—ensuring safety, optimizing therapy, and helping patients navigate access and affordability.” - Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA
Williams outlined 6 key steps for pharmacists to guide patients effectively. First, normalize common gastrointestinal side effects without minimizing them, and provide concrete mitigation strategies such as smaller meals, slower eating, prioritizing protein, hydration, and fiber. Second, encourage patients to use over-the-counter support for constipation when appropriate and respond promptly to early fullness cues. Third, reinforce that dose escalation should be tailored to tolerance, with the goal of the lowest effective dose. Fourth, help patients define success beyond the scale, including improvements in blood pressure, mobility, and cravings. Fifth, discuss the likelihood of long-term therapy and potential weight regain if treatment stops, framing GLP-1 use like the management of other chronic conditions. Finally, establish a follow-up cadence, especially during titration and at eight to twelve weeks, to evaluate efficacy, tolerability, and affordability.
Williams also described the broader operational role pharmacists play at Scripta Insights, serving as access navigators, equity advocates, and data-informed partners. Pharmacists help patients navigate formulary rules, prior authorizations, and plan limitations while reducing start-stop cycles caused by cost or coverage issues. They act as safety coaches, ensuring correct administration, early side-effect identification, and misinformation mitigation. As therapy optimizers, pharmacists coordinate dose adjustments with prescribers, particularly for patients on insulin or sulfonylureas, and monitor adherence barriers to maximize treatment outcomes.
Overall, Williams positioned pharmacists as central to patient success with GLP-1 therapies, balancing clinical guidance, access facilitation, and personalized support to improve adherence, safety, and long-term outcomes.
Previous coverage from Williams can be found here.
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