Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse drug reaction
- An unwanted or harmful response to a medicine taken at a normal dose.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
- The UK body that regulates advertising and can act against misleading or unlawful adverts.
- Anaesthesia
- The use of medicines to remove sensation or induce sleep so a procedure or operation can be carried out.
- Aspiration risk
- The risk that stomach contents pass into the lungs, which is more likely around surgery if the stomach empties slowly.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of body weight relative to height, used to judge whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight or overweight.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Comorbidity
- An additional health condition a person has alongside the main condition being treated.
- Contraindication
- A reason why a particular medicine or treatment should not be given because it could cause harm.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sits alongside the UK GDPR and governs how personal information must be handled.
- Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- The person responsible for overseeing how an organisation protects personal data and follows data-protection law.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- A serious, potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes caused by a severe lack of insulin.
- Dyslipidaemia
- An abnormal level of fats such as cholesterol in the blood, which can raise the risk of heart disease.
- Excipients
- The inactive ingredients in a medicine, such as fillers or preservatives, alongside the active drug.
- Formulary
- An approved list of medicines that a service has agreed may be prescribed and supplied.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- Gastroparesis
- A condition in which the stomach empties more slowly than normal.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the UK and sets the standards they must meet.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacies in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A doctor based in the community who provides general medical care and coordinates a patient's overall health.
- GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide)
- A natural gut hormone involved in regulating blood sugar and appetite; some weight-management medicines act on its receptor.
- GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1)
- A natural gut hormone that reduces appetite and slows stomach emptying; medicines that copy its action are used for weight management.
- GLP-1 receptor agonist
- A medicine that mimics the GLP-1 hormone to reduce appetite and food intake.
- Hypersensitivity
- An exaggerated immune response to a substance, ranging from a mild allergy to a severe reaction.
- Hypertension
- Persistently raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Incretin
- A type of gut hormone, such as GLP-1 and GIP, that helps control blood sugar and appetite after eating.
- Independent prescriber
- A trained healthcare professional, such as a pharmacist or nurse, who is qualified to prescribe medicines in their own right within their competence.
- Information governance
- The framework for handling people's personal and health information legally, securely and appropriately.
- International non-proprietary name
- The official generic name of a medicine's active ingredient, as opposed to a manufacturer's brand name.
- Marketing authorisation
- The official licence that allows a medicine to be sold and used for specified purposes in the UK.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK body that regulates medicines and medical devices and monitors their safety.
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma
- A rare type of thyroid cancer; a personal or family history of it makes some weight-management medicines unsuitable.
- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2
- An inherited condition that increases the risk of certain tumours, including thyroid cancer.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that produces evidence-based guidance and recommendations on treatments and care in England.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- A condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep because the airway becomes blocked.
- Off-label
- Using a licensed medicine in a way not covered by its official licence, such as for a different condition or dose.
- Pancreatitis
- Inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain and be serious.
- Perioperative
- The period around an operation, including before, during and shortly after surgery.
- Pharmacovigilance
- The ongoing monitoring of the safety of medicines once they are in use, to detect and act on side effects.
- Prediabetes
- Blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Responsible Pharmacist
- The pharmacist legally in charge of the safe and effective running of a pharmacy at a given time.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Safety-netting
- Giving a patient clear advice on warning signs to watch for and exactly when and how to seek further help.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The official document describing how a medicine should be used, including doses, warnings and side effects.
- Titration
- Gradually adjusting a medicine's dose, usually increasing it in steps, to reach the right level safely.
- Type 1 diabetes
- A condition where the body produces little or no insulin and requires lifelong insulin treatment.
- Type 2 diabetes
- A common condition where the body does not use insulin properly, leading to raised blood sugar.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Yellow Card Scheme
- The UK system for reporting suspected side effects of medicines and faulty medical products to the MHRA.