How to Talk to Your Doctor About Weight Loss Medication (October 2026)

01 · Step one

What to do before your appointment

Book a dedicated appointment and say at booking that it is about weight management. Weight is a sensitive topic and a rushed mention at the end of another consultation rarely gets the attention it deserves. If your surgery offers a choice, ask for a longer slot or a clinician with an interest in weight management, since some practices have a lead for it.

Then gather your information. A clinician can only judge whether medication is appropriate if they see the whole picture, and a page of notes makes you far more credible and efficient than trying to recall details in the room.

02 · Step two

What to say to your doctor

Start with your reason and ask the question straight. You do not need clinical language. Clear, specific wording helps the clinician move straight to eligibility and options.

• "I would like to discuss medication to help with my weight, because my previous attempts have not been sustainable."
• "Based on my BMI and my health conditions, do I qualify for a licensed weight loss medicine?"
• "I have read about Mounjaro. Is it an option for me, on the NHS or privately?"
• "If not now, what would need to change, and when could we review it?"

Describe what you have tried honestly, including the times it did not work. Avoid saying you want a quick fix. Frame it as a long-term health decision, because that is exactly how these medicines are meant to be used: alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.¹

If your GP is open to it but unsure about a particular medicine, you can also mention you have read about the right to ask your doctor for weight loss medication. You are entitled to raise it, and a good clinician will welcome an informed patient.

03 · Step three

Decide what you do next

After the appointment you are usually in one of three positions: you qualify and can be referred or prescribed on the NHS, you do not yet qualify on the NHS, or your doctor recommends a different approach first. Each is a legitimate outcome and none ends your options.

If the NHS route is closed or slow, regulated private treatment is another option. Our Mounjaro pen consultation is free and reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. Your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40 (standard price £169.99), and prices were checked 12 October 2026. You can also read more on our weight loss clinic page.

04 · Who to talk to

Who to talk to about weight loss medication

Your GP is the usual first contact, but not the only one. Practice nurses, pharmacists and specialist weight management services can all be involved, and some surgeries have a clinician who leads on weight. If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, the team that already looks after you is often well placed to discuss options.

You can also speak to a prescriber through a regulated online pharmacy. That is a different route from the NHS, with its own consultation and its own costs, but it is a legitimate way to get a clinical assessment if you prefer not to wait.

On the NHS, Mounjaro is available, but access is being phased in over several years.⁴ Which service you are referred to depends on where you live and on local commissioning, so ask your surgery what is currently offered in your area. For wider background, our guide to weight loss injections explains the main medicines.

05 · What qualifies you

What qualifies you for weight loss medication

Eligibility is set by BMI, by weight-related health conditions and by the route you are using. The NHS criteria are the strictest and they are being widened in stages, not all at once.

NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁴⁶ Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting.

So if you ask what the NHS criteria for Mounjaro are, the honest answer is that they depend on BMI, on the conditions you have and on which stage of the rollout your area has reached. Your GP will know the current local position far better than any general web page.

Private prescribers apply the licence and their own clinical judgement, and the decision rests with the prescriber, not with a form.

06 · What your doctor will ask

What your doctor will ask you

Expect questions about your weight history, your eating patterns, your activity, your mental health and your medical background. These are not judgement. They help the clinician decide whether medication is safe and likely to help.

Typical questions include which approaches you have tried and for how long, whether you have conditions linked to weight, what medicines you take, and whether you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding. 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. If you use the oral contraceptive pill, Mounjaro can reduce how well it is absorbed: switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method such as condoms, for 4 weeks after starting and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. Answer fully. Leaving out a medicine or a condition is the quickest way to end up with advice that does not fit.

Be especially clear about anything you take for diabetes. Mounjaro can affect other medicines, and with insulin or sulfonylureas the doses may need reducing to avoid low blood sugar.¹ Tell your prescriber about everything you take, including warfarin or other narrow-margin medicines.

Your clinician may also talk about expectations. Weight loss on these medicines is gradual by design, and your response is reviewed over time.¹

07 · Questions about Mounjaro

Questions to ask about Mounjaro

If Mounjaro is on the table, a few precise questions make the appointment far more useful. Write them down so you do not forget them under pressure.

• Is it suitable for me? Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine made by Eli Lilly, licensed in the UK for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹ 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. 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.
• How would the dose work? Everyone starts on 2.5mg once a week. This starting dose is about letting your body adjust, not about weight loss itself.¹¹¹
• What results are realistic? 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.
• How will I be reviewed? 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
• What are the side effects? Mild nausea, altered appetite and tiredness in the first days after each injection are the commonest early effects and usually settle.¹³
• What happens if I stop? In SURMOUNT-4, people who stopped tirzepatide after 36 weeks regained on average 14% of body weight over the following year, while those who continued lost a further 5.5% on average. Stopping should always be planned with your prescriber.

For more on the evidence, see our facts about weight loss injections and the truth about weight loss drugs.

08 · If the answer is no

Why your doctor might not prescribe, and what to do

A refusal usually reflects eligibility rules and local capacity, not a verdict on you. Doctors work within criteria, and NHS access to Mounjaro is being phased in over several years, so many people who would benefit do not yet qualify on the NHS.⁴

There are other reasons a prescription may not happen. Your BMI or conditions may fall outside current criteria. A medicine you already take may need a different approach. Or your doctor may want to try structured support first. Ask which of these applies, because the answer changes your next step.

Useful things to do after a no:

• Ask what the criteria are in your area and whether you could be referred to a specialist weight management service.
• Ask whether a review could be booked if your circumstances change, and what would trigger it.
• Ask for the decision and the reasoning to be noted in your record.
• Request a second opinion from another clinician at the practice if you feel unheard.
• Consider a regulated private consultation, where a GPhC-registered prescriber makes an independent assessment against the licence.

Stay polite but persistent. A clinician is more likely to engage when the conversation is calm and when you can show what you have already tried.

09 · Beware the shortcuts

Beware shortcuts and "poor man's Ozempic"

The nickname "poor man's Ozempic" is marketing for low-cost supplements, often berberine. These are available cheaply without assessment and come with no clinical oversight, and their dosing is not standardised. They are not an established equivalent of a licensed GLP-1 medicine, so do not treat the label as a reason to skip the conversation with your doctor. If you take supplements, tell your clinician, as they may be relevant to your other medicines.

Be equally cautious about anyone offering to supply a prescription injection without a consultation or prescription. Counterfeit medicines are a real risk, and the MHRA publishes alerts about them. If you ever experience a suspected side effect, tell your prescriber and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.⁷¹⁹

Buying from a GPhC-registered pharmacy is the safe route, and you can verify ours on the GPhC register (registration 9012878). We supply genuine KwikPens through official LillyDirect supply, and each order is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber.

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 · Private route

If you choose a private consultation

A private route is a straightforward alternative when NHS access is not available to you yet. With us it starts with a free online consultation, a short health questionnaire with no charge and no obligation. A GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it; payment is taken when you place the order, and if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

Approved orders are dispensed by our registered pharmacy, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm, then free next-day tracked delivery in temperature-controlled packaging. Needles, a sharps bin and injection guidance are included with every order, and our prescribing team provides ongoing monthly reviews.

New customers save £40 on their first order with code FIRST40, and an automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25). Repeat orders re-check suitability, and nothing ships automatically.

You can still tell your GP. Sharing your treatment keeps your records accurate and helps with monitoring. For more on the topic, see our pages on information about weight loss injections and a documentary about weight loss injections.