Can Anyone Have the Weight Loss Injection? UK Eligibility (October 2026)

01 · Eligibility

Who can have a weight loss injection in the UK?

Adults who meet the licensed criteria and are judged suitable by a prescriber can have a weight loss injection. For Mounjaro, that means a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition.¹ Examples of qualifying conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.¹¹

Treatment must be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.¹ Meeting the BMI number alone is not enough. A prescriber will assess your BMI, medical history and current medicines before deciding whether it is suitable for you.¹ You should not take Mounjaro if you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of its ingredients, and it should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. Your prescriber will take extra care, or may recommend against treatment, if you have a history of pancreatitis, severe gut or digestive disease, diabetic retinopathy, or gallbladder problems. Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy, and it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive. Mounjaro slows stomach emptying, which can reduce how well oral contraceptive pills are absorbed. The SmPC advises switching to a non-oral method, or adding a barrier method (such as condoms), for 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each dose increase.

Want a more personal answer? Our guide on whether you personally can have the injection walks through the checks step by step. Parents can read about children and weight loss injections.

02 · NHS or private

NHS or private: which route applies to you?

Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition.⁴ The NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first, initially BMI 40 or above with four or more qualifying conditions.⁶

Full rollout is expected to take years. That is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. Our page on getting weight loss injections on the NHS explains how to ask your GP.

03 · Private route

What does private treatment involve?

Private treatment starts with a free online consultation, which is a short health questionnaire with no charge and no obligation. A GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it, not a scoring script. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

The Mounjaro pen starts at £169.99 for the 2.5mg starting pen, and your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40. An automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25). Everyone starts on 2.5mg.

All six doses are in stock, supplied through official LillyDirect supply, which means Mounjaro direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution. Delivery is free, next-day and tracked in temperature-controlled packaging, with same-day dispatch when you order by 3pm. When you are ready, start your free consultation.

Related guide: Does anyone have mounjaro in stock.

04 · What the injection is

What are weight loss injections?

Weight loss injections are prescription medicines given by injection to support weight management in adults. Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable made by Eli Lilly. In the UK it is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes. It comes as a pre-filled multi-dose pen (KwikPen) in six strengths: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg.¹

There is a wider family of treatments, covered in our overview of weight loss injections and in our guide to all weight loss treatments. Each has its own licence and eligibility, so being suitable for one does not automatically mean being suitable for another.

05 · How they work

How do weight loss injections work?

Mounjaro works by activating two natural gut-hormone receptors at once, GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin.¹ In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.

This dual action distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic).¹ It is why the injection is described as a support for diet and activity rather than a replacement for them. Tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes roughly 4–5 weeks to clear the system.¹

06 · What results look like

What results can people expect?

In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² These are trial averages, and individual results vary. For someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg.

At 72 weeks, 85% of participants on 5mg, 89% on 10mg and 91% on 15mg had lost at least 5% of their body weight.² Weight loss on Mounjaro is gradual by design. The first weeks on 2.5mg are an adjustment phase and losses are usually modest. Most measurable progress builds from 5mg onward, month by month, so think in months, not days.¹

07 · Dosing and review

How treatment is started and reviewed

Everyone starts Mounjaro on 2.5mg once a week. This starting dose is about letting your body adjust, not about weight loss itself. After at least 4 weeks the dose increases to 5mg. It can then step up by 2.5mg at a minimum of 4-week intervals (7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg) up to a maximum of 15mg weekly, depending on how you respond and tolerate it.¹

Many people settle at a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg. Higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the right pace. If you have lost less than 5% of your starting weight after 6 months on the highest dose you can tolerate, your prescriber will discuss whether continuing or stopping is right for you.¹

Our aftercare includes ongoing monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments by the prescribing team, plus side-effect support. Repeat orders re-check suitability, and there is no auto-shipping.

08 · If you do not qualify

What if you do not meet the criteria?

If you fall outside the licensed criteria, a prescriber cannot supply Mounjaro for weight management within its licence. That is a safeguard, not a rejection of you. If your BMI is between 27 and 30 and you have no weight-related condition, the licence does not cover you. Your circumstances can also change, for example if a condition such as high blood pressure is later diagnosed.¹

Your GP is a good first stop for a wider conversation about weight, health checks and support. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

Be wary of anyone offering to supply weight loss injections without a consultation or prescription. Genuine products come from a registered pharmacy, which you can check on the GPhC register, and our registration number is 9012878.¹² The MHRA publishes counterfeit medicine alerts and runs the Yellow Card scheme for reporting side effects.⁷

09 · Before you order

What to prepare before a consultation

A good consultation starts with accurate information. Have your current height and weight to hand, plus a list of any conditions you have been diagnosed with and every medicine you take, including over-the-counter products. A prescriber assesses your BMI, medical history and current medicines, so complete answers help them reach the right decision.¹

Think too about whether you are ready for the lifestyle side. Mounjaro is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, and treatment is judged over months.

Payment options include Visa/Mastercard, Klarna and pay-monthly options, with no subscriptions. Needles, a sharps bin and injection guidance come with every order.