GLP-1 Prescriptions Growth in 2024: What It Means for UK Patients (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

What GLP-1 prescription growth in 2024 means for you

Prescribing of GLP-1 medicines rose sharply through 2024, and the increase was led by treatments for obesity rather than diabetes.

For a UK adult deciding what to do, the useful point is simpler. Demand rose because these medicines work for many people alongside diet and exercise, and because more people now know they exist. Demand growth alone does not tell you whether a medicine is suitable, safe or affordable for you. Those depend on your BMI, your medical history and your current medicines.

02 · Cost and access

What private Mounjaro costs in the UK

A standard Mounjaro pen costs £169.99 per month at the 2.5mg starting dose, rising to £329.99 at 15mg, with all six doses in stock. A new customer gets £40 off their first order at any dose with code FIRST40, and every later order is £25 off the standard price (code DOSE25). Your first 2.5mg pen therefore costs £129.99. Switching to us at 15mg? Your first order is £289.99.

Across the UK pharmacies we track, Mounjaro pens range from £143.96 to £339.00 per month depending on dose and provider (index checked 10 October 2026). The consultation is free and the price shown is the price paid.

These totals are before discounts. A new customer's first order is £40 less, and every later order is £25 less. For a maintenance dose between those two, use that dose's monthly price: £279.99 at 7.5mg, £290.99 at 10mg or £319.99 at 12.5mg.

03 · How to order

How ordering works

Ordering takes three steps and starts with a free, no-obligation online consultation.

• Complete the consultation. A short health questionnaire, free to start.
• Prescriber review. A GPhC-registered prescriber reviews your answers. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.
• Dispensing and delivery. Our registered pharmacy dispenses your pen, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm and free next-day tracked delivery in temperature-controlled packaging.

We source Mounjaro through official LillyDirect supply, direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, so you receive genuine KwikPens. Our GPhC registration (9012878) can be checked on the GPhC register. Ongoing monthly reviews are included. You can start at Buy Mounjaro.

Related guide: Glp 1 prescriptions decline q4 2024.

04 · Why demand grew

Why GLP-1 demand grew so fast

Demand grew largely because obesity treatment moved from a niche to a mainstream use of these medicines. Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, is a once-weekly injection made by Eli Lilly. In the UK it is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹

Tirzepatide activates two gut-hormone receptors at once, GIP and GLP-1. Together they help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties and improve the way the body responds to insulin. Most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.¹

The trial evidence behind that interest is specific. In SURMOUNT-1, which enrolled 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. The comparison group, using lifestyle changes alone, lost 3.1%.² For someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg. These are trial averages and individual results vary. Treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.

05 · Who is eligible

Who can be prescribed Mounjaro

Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition. Examples include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. It must be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.¹¹¹

A prescriber assesses your BMI, medical history and current medicines before deciding whether it is suitable. Rising national prescription numbers do not change that individual assessment. Mounjaro is not suitable for everyone. You should not take it if you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of its ingredients, and it should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy, and it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive. If you become pregnant during treatment, stop the medicine and tell your prescriber promptly. 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. Always share your full medical history and medicine list during consultation.

06 · NHS versus private

NHS and private access

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. 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.⁴⁶

Full rollout is expected to take years. That is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. If you are unsure where you stand, ask your GP about NHS options, and compare them with the routes on our weight loss treatments page.

07 · Prices in 2026

Will GLP-1 medicines be cheaper in 2026?

The most recent change to Mounjaro's UK price went up rather than down. Eli Lilly announced a UK list-price increase for Mounjaro on 14 August 2025, effective 1 September 2025.

Pharmacy sell prices vary because of confidential discounts. Ours are shown live: a standard 2.5mg pen is £169.99 and a 15mg pen £329.99. Prices checked 10 October 2026. For how the market developed after 2024, see our pages on GLP-1 prescription growth in 2025 and whether prescriptions are still growing.

08 · Alzheimer's and other claims

GLP-1 medicines, Alzheimer's and other new uses

In the UK, Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹

If you have a condition outside the licence, speak to your own clinician before changing treatment. If you notice a new or lasting symptom while taking any medicine, discuss it with your prescriber and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹ Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing.

09 · Safe supply

Rising demand and counterfeit risk

When demand for a medicine surges, so do unregulated sellers. Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after a consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. Be wary of any seller offering to supply without a consultation or prescription.⁷

Check that a pharmacy appears on the GPhC register.¹² Ours is 9012878. You can read about a third-party service in our review of Doctronic for GLP-1 prescriptions.

10 · Stopping and long term

Stopping, lifetime use and the future

Whether you stay on a GLP-1 medicine long term is a decision for you and your prescriber, based on your health, your goals and how you tolerate treatment.

One practical fact applies to Mounjaro. Tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes roughly 4–5 weeks to clear the system. Nothing needs doing while it clears, and there is no way to speed it up.¹ Our prescribing team reviews progress monthly, and repeat orders re-check suitability with no auto-shipping.