An obesity drug rejected for use by the Scottish NHS will be available on prescription in England and Wales.
Early trials have shown the treatment rimonabant, which suppresses appetite, could help patients lose up to 10% of their body weight.
However, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), which guides health boards on new drugs, decided not to support its use in February.
It was also refused a licence in the US amid fears it could cause depression and suicide.
Now the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which performs a similar role to SMC south of the Border, has given doctors a green light to prescribe the drug when the few alternative drugs do not work.
Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said SMC should consider reviewing their decision.
He said Nice had conducted an impressive assessment of the drug, which is sold under the trade name Acomplia.
Dr Haslam said: "The Nice review is a very robust, very detailed analysis of all of the evidence. It takes into account that while there are clearly side-effects, which is troublesome for any drug, there are also cast iron benefits."
As well as aiding weight-loss Dr Haslam said the treatment had a major role in reducing the burden of heart disease, cholesterol and diabetes.
Obesity levels in Scotland are the second highest in the world, behind the United States, and levels of the associated diseases are also alarming.
Dr Haslam said SMC's decision would give the Scots one less weapon in the fight against the problem compared to England. "If I was a physician in Scotland not being able to use this drug which I can see my neighbour down the road being able to use and being fairly successful, I would be a bit miffed."
A spokesman for SMC said: "The decision that we took at the time was there are other drugs available to treat obesity which, on the evidence the manufacturer gave to us, are more effective and for a cheaper price."
When Nice takes a different decision on a treatment from SMC it can spark a rethink in Scotland. On this occasion, however, the spokesman said the Nice evaluation had "no status" north of the Border.
He added: "We will not be reviewing it because of the Nice decision. We will only review it as a matter of course if the manufacturer decides to submit new evidence to us."
Rimonabant was first made available in the UK in 2006 and regulators have received reports covering 2123 individual adverse reactions.
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