How To Get Referred For Weight Loss Injections (October 2026)

01 · The NHS route

How to get referred for weight loss injections on the NHS

The first step is to contact your GP practice and ask how weight-loss injections are accessed locally. Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years, so the answer you get depends on where you live and how your practice has organised the rollout.⁶ NHS access to Wegovy runs through specialist weight-management services, so ask your GP about that too.

Here is a practical sequence that works for most people:

• Check your numbers first. Work out your BMI and note any weight-related conditions you have been diagnosed with, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea.
• Book a GP appointment. Ask directly: "Is tirzepatide available for weight management at this practice, and do I meet the current criteria?"
• Ask about local arrangements. Some areas use a referral to a specialist weight-management service; others handle prescribing in primary care. Your GP or your integrated care board can tell you which applies to you.
• Ask about the waiting list. Because the rollout is phased, you may be told you are eligible but not yet in the current group. Ask whether you can be added to a list and how often it is reviewed.
• Keep a record. Bring recent weight, height and blood pressure readings, and a list of your medicines, so the appointment is not wasted.

If your GP says you do not currently qualify, that is not a judgement about your health. It reflects the phased rollout, which started with the highest-need groups first.⁴

02 · Eligibility

Do you meet the NHS criteria?

NICE recommends Mounjaro 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 people with a BMI of 40 or more and four or more qualifying conditions.⁶ Full rollout is expected to take years.

That means two people with the same BMI may get different answers depending on timing and local capacity.

The private thresholds come from the Mounjaro licence, which is wider than the NHS criteria. A prescriber still assesses your BMI, medical history and current medicines before deciding whether it is suitable for you.¹

03 · If you do not qualify yet

The private route: how it works if you cannot wait

If you do not meet the NHS criteria yet, or the wait is not right for you, you can be assessed privately without a GP referral. Mounjaro is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.¹

Our process has three steps:

• Free online consultation. A short health questionnaire, with no charge and no obligation. Start your free consultation.
• Prescriber review. Your answers are reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, 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.
• Dispatch and delivery. Our registered pharmacy dispenses your order, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm and free next-day tracked delivery in temperature-controlled packaging. Saturday delivery is £14.99.

All six doses of the Mounjaro range are in stock, supplied through official LillyDirect supply direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution.

04 · What the NHS can offer

Which weight loss injections are available on the NHS?

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is available on the NHS for weight management, but access is being phased in over several years.⁵ NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition.⁴ The primary-care rollout began in June 2025, starting with the highest-need groups.⁶

Wegovy (semaglutide) is the other well-known weight-loss injection. NHS access to Wegovy runs through specialist weight-management services; ask your GP.

Will Mounjaro be free for NHS patients in 2026? For eligible patients it is prescribed on the NHS, so you would pay at most the standard prescription charge of £9.90 in England, where charges apply. The real constraint is not price but whether you are in a group being offered it yet. Your GP is the right person to confirm where you stand.

05 · Preparing for your GP visit

Preparing for your GP appointment

A short, organised appointment gets the clearest answer. Because NICE criteria combine BMI with weight-related conditions, the more precise your information, the quicker your GP can tell you where you fit.⁴

• Measurements. Bring a recent weight and height, or ask the practice to measure them.
• Conditions. List diagnoses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. These are the kinds of weight-related conditions the licence refers to.¹
• Medicines. Include everything you take, because a prescriber must check current medicines before deciding if treatment is suitable.
• What you have tried. Note previous diets, programmes or activity plans. Treatment is designed to work alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
• Questions. Ask what the criteria are in your area, whether you can join a waiting list, and what support comes with treatment.

If you would like more background before you go, our guide to how to get hold of weight loss injections covers the main routes in one place.

06 · Side effects to know

Common side effects of Mounjaro

The commonest early effects are mild nausea, altered appetite and tiredness in the first days after each injection, and they usually settle.¹³ The first weeks on 2.5mg are an adjustment phase, and experiences differ widely: some people notice appetite change straight away, others feel little until a higher dose.

Tell your prescriber about any new or lasting symptom. You can also report suspected side effects through the MHRA 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. Our blog explains how safe weight loss injections are and what the risks involve in more depth.

These points apply on either route. If you are treated through the NHS or privately, the prescriber should explain what to expect, how the dose changes and when to get in touch.

07 · What treatment looks like

What treatment looks like once you are referred

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, then can step up by 2.5mg at minimum 4-week intervals to a maximum of 15mg weekly, depending on response and tolerance.¹ Many people settle at 5mg, 10mg or 15mg, and higher is not automatically better.

It is injected under the skin once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food. Each KwikPen contains four weekly doses.¹³

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 For someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg. These are trial averages, and individual results vary.

Progress is gradual by design. Think in months, not days. 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

08 · Cost, payment and comparisons

Cost, payment plans and cheaper options

What are the payment plans for private Mounjaro? We accept Visa and Mastercard, Klarna and pay-monthly options, and there are no subscriptions, so nothing renews automatically. Repeat orders re-check suitability and are never auto-shipped. The standard 2.5mg pen is £169.99, and every later order is £25 off the standard price.

Planning ahead: if you step up after 4 weeks on each dose, your first four pens (2.5mg to 10mg) cost £959.96 at standard prices. A first year (13 pens) costs £2,711.88 if you stay on 5mg after your 2.5mg starting pen, up to £3,599.88 if you step up through every dose to 15mg. A new customer's first order is £40 less, and every later order £25 less. Prices were checked 10 October 2026.

Where can you find Mounjaro for less? Across the UK pharmacies we track, Mounjaro pens range from £143.96 to £339.00 per month depending on dose and provider, and the gap between providers for the same dose runs from £27 to £41 (index checked 10 October 2026). Boots' Mounjaro doses range from £179.00 to £339.00 per month, so yes, you can get Mounjaro from Boots.

Is there a cheaper alternative? Wegovy is a licensed weight-management injection; its first pen is £99.99 on a first order. It is a different medicine, so ask a prescriber which suits you. For a wider look at the options, see our weight loss treatments overview.

09 · Avoiding fake supply

Avoiding fake weight loss injections

Long NHS waits push some people towards sellers who offer injections without a proper assessment. Medicines supplied without a consultation or prescription are a safety risk, and the MHRA publishes counterfeit medicine alerts.⁷

Before you buy anywhere, check the pharmacy appears on the GPhC register.¹² Our registration number is 9012878, and you can check it on the public register. Be wary of anyone who offers to supply without a consultation, or who promises specific results. Our page on fraudulent weight loss injections lists the warning signs. If you think you have received a faulty or suspect product, tell your pharmacist and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

10 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

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. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹

11 · Choosing between routes

NHS or private: how to choose

Start with the NHS if you are in, or close to, a group being offered treatment and can wait for your area's rollout. NICE-recommended care through your GP or a specialist service can include wider support, and the cost to you is at most the prescription charge of £9.90 in England, where it applies.⁴

Consider the private route if you meet the licensed criteria but not yet the NHS ones, or if you want a decision from a prescriber sooner. Full NHS rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting.⁴ You can do both: ask your GP to note your interest while you decide.

On our service, ongoing monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments by the prescribing team are included, and our GLPTrackr companion app is free for tracking your journey. Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 0333 207 0413 or at support@everydaymeds.co.uk. For other ways in, see our guides to getting weight loss injection treatment and the wider weight loss shots guide.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. It is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.