Can you get weight loss injections on the NHS?

You can get Wegovy on the NHS if you meet the current NHS prescribing criteria for semaglutide (Wegovy). Currently, this includes having health problems due to your weight and a certain body mass index (BMI), usually between 30 and 35 depending on your ethnicity and other factors.

To be eligible for Wegovy on the NHS, your GP usually needs to refer you to a ‘tier 3’ specialist weight management service. Access to this service differs depending on where you live and waiting times can last anywhere from several months to several years. You can either find the waiting time for your area online or by contacting the service directly.

Not all weight management services offer weight loss injections, especially if there is an NHS shortage, so you’d need to check with your GP or with the service itself. Most GPs can’t prescribe weight loss injections on the NHS yet, but you may be able to get a weight loss tablet instead.

The NHS is looking at ways to streamline this process for more people to access weight loss injections with the upcoming planned rollout of tirzepatide, so there’s likely to be a change in the way weight loss injections are prescribed in the coming years. As national guidance needs to change and healthcare professionals will need extra training, it’s likely to take a good few years before big changes come into play.

How much does Wegovy cost on the NHS?

The cost of Wegovy on the NHS will follow the typical prescription charge, which is for each item, not each prescription. This is currently £9.90. If you get your medication for free, Wegovy will be free on the NHS if you meet the prescribing criteria.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). This is usually released after you eat and sends signals to your brain that you’re full. Wegovy has the same effect, activating the same receptors so that you feel less hungry. It also delays the emptying of your stomach which promotes feelings of fullness, even while following a diet plan.

Wegovy is taken once a week and each pen contains 4 doses. You’ll follow a Wegovy dosing schedule, which involves taking the same dose for 4 weeks before increasing to the next dose. Your starting dose will be 0.25 mg, which is gradually increased to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. In clinical studies, Wegovy has been proven to help people lose up to 15% of their starting weight after taking the maintenance dose for 68 weeks.

Where else can I get Wegovy?

If you want to try Wegovy sooner or can’t access a specialist weight management service in your area, Wegovy is also available with a private prescription. ASDA Online Doctor can provide you with a prescription and your chosen weight loss treatment, all in one place.

We can prescribe Wegovy if you have a BMI of:

• 30 kg/m2 or more
• 27 kg/m2 or more and a weight-related medical condition

To see if you’re eligible, start by completing a short medical questionnaire. One of our doctors will make sure you meet the criteria for Wegovy and that it’s suitable based on your medical history and current medications. Once you have your prescription, Wegovy can be delivered to an address of your choice.

You can’t currently get Mounjaro (tirzepatide) on the NHS although they plan to make it available. A recent news update from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated that “a phased launch for tirzepatide has been set out by NHS England” as of 3 October 2024.

According to the plan, tirzepatide will be available for “patients likely to achieve the greatest clinical benefit” over the next 3 years, across a range of NHS services. With this plan, the NHS aims to develop a range of community-based and digital technologies to provide these weight loss injections to nearly “a quarter of a million people”. After the 3-year trial period, the rollout is set to continue to more NHS patients over the following 9 years.

A consultation for registered stakeholders to submit their comments was open until 22 October 2024. After the consultation, NICE will “carefully consider all responses before final guidance on tirzepatide and obesity is published later this year”. We’ll keep updated on this, but it’s not likely that Mounjaro will be available on the NHS this year.

Who’ll be eligible?

During the initial proposed rollout of 3 years, tirzepatide will be available to people meeting specific criteria, which include a BMI of more than 40 kg/m2 and at least 3 of the following weight-related health problems:

• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• dyslipidaemia (abnormal levels of lipids in the bloodstream)
• obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts when you sleep)
• cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels)

After this, it would be offered to people with the same BMI criteria, with 2 weight-related health conditions, and then to people with 1 weight-related condition.

How much will Mounjaro cost on the NHS?

The price of Mounjaro on the NHS will be free, although you’ll have to pay the prescription fee, unless you are exempt. This is currently £9.90 per item.

Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which mimics GLP-1 like Wegovy and Saxenda. It also mimics a second hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) which can enhance the effects of GLP-1 to make you feel fuller and reduce your appetite. Mounjaro is taken once a week, at the same time and day.

Like other weight loss injections, Mounjaro follows its own dosage schedule, starting at 2.5 mg. You’ll increase your dose every 4 weeks until you reach a maintenance dose of 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg. You don’t have to increase your dose if you’re happy with your results, but studies have shown that you’ll lose the most weight by taking the highest maintenance dose of 15 mg.

Where else can I get Mounjaro?

You can get a Mounjaro prescription and treatment with ASDA Online Doctor. Simply complete a brief medical questionnaire about your health, BMI, and current medications, which one of our doctors will review. You’ll need to meet the Mounjaro prescribing criteria, which differ from the NHS.

We can prescribe Mounjaro if you’ve got a BMI of:

• 30 kg/m2 or more
• 27 kg/m2 or more and a weight-related medical condition

If Mounjaro is suitable, we’ll prescribe and send the treatment to your home via your chosen delivery option. You’ll also have access to your free online account where you can message a doctor at any time and gain access to our weight loss support pack.

Saxenda is long-term out of stock due to a national shortage. We don’t know when it’ll become available again on the NHS or privately. Wegovy and Mounjaro are the best alternative treatments and may be more suitable for some patients, as they only need to be taken once a week while Saxenda is injected once-daily.

If Saxenda becomes available again on the NHS you’ll need to be referred to a tier 3 weight management service to get it. Local guidelines for a referral will depend on your area, so it’s best to ask your GP.

Saxenda is free on the NHS for those who are eligible for it and are exempt from paying for their prescriptions. However, if you’re eligible but not exempt from paying, there is a prescription charge, which is currently £9.90 for each item prescribed.

Saxenda mimics GLP-1 to reduce appetite and help you feel fuller. It contains the active ingredient liraglutide and is taken once a day, at the same time. Saxenda follows its own dosage schedule, starting at a dose of 0.6 mg for the first week. You’ll increase this by 0.6 mg each week until you reach the maintenance dose of 3.0 mg at week 5.

In clinical trials, Saxenda helped people lose an average of 8% of their starting weight on the maintenance dose after 56 weeks of treatment compared to a loss of 2.6% for those taking a placebo.

Can I get Saxenda anywhere else?

Saxenda is long-term out of stock for both the NHS and privately, but we’re in communication with the manufacturers to get more stock when it becomes available. In the meantime, you can get Mounjaro or Wegovy as an alternative. When Saxenda becomes available again, you’ll be able to get it from ASDA Online Doctor.

Yes, you can get Ozempic on the NHS as a type 2 diabetes treatment. You’ll need to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and require additional help managing your blood sugar levels. Your doctor is likely to prescribe other treatments first, such as metformin and diet and lifestyle changes. You can’t get Ozempic on the NHS for weight loss.

Ozempic is free on the NHS for diabetes and you’ll only need to pay a prescription charge if you usually pay for your prescriptions. This is currently £9.65.

If you can’t take weight loss injections or want an alternative weight loss treatment, you might want to try a weight loss tablet instead. The NHS can prescribe orlistat products, which include orlistat generic tablets, Xenical (although it’s less likely you’ll get the branded version on the NHS), and alli. You can also get these privately, as well as another weight loss pill called Mysimba.

What alternative weight loss treatments can I get on the NHS?

You can get orlistat capsules on the NHS, which are prescription-only. Each capsule contains 120 mg of orlistat and should be taken up to 3 times per day, only with meals containing fat. Orlistat stops around a third of the fat you eat from being absorbed, which is passed out in your stools. This means it can cause oily, loose stools and a sudden urge to use the toilet. Like all weight loss treatments, it should be taken alongside a diet and exercise regime.

Orlistat on the NHS will only be recommended by your GP if you’ve made a significant effort to lose weight with lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise. It can be prescribed if you have a BMI of:

• 28 or more and other weight-related conditions
• 30 or more

alli is also available over the counter and is an alternative to orlistat with a lower dose of 60 mg per tablet. It works in the same way. Although you can get it over the counter, a pharmacist or doctor will still need to check your suitability by asking a few questions and checking your BMI.

What alternative weight loss treatments can I get privately?

ASDA Online Doctor can prescribe a range of weight loss treatments, including orlistat. You can get a prescription through our service for:

• orlistat capsules
• Xenical (a branded version of orlistat)
• alli (60 mg version of orlistat which can also be found over the counter)

These all prevent about a third of the fat from each meal from being absorbed, helping you to lose more weight than dieting alone. You can take up to 3 capsules a day but only with meals containing fat. We can prescribe orlistat if you have a BMI over 30, or over 28 and a health condition that can be helped by weight loss.

We also prescribe Mysimba weight loss tablets which are only available with a private prescription. They contain 2 active ingredients called naltrexone and bupropion. Mysimba can help to support weight loss by affecting the parts of your brain that control appetite and energy levels. This can make you:

• feel less hungry so you can stick to a diet plan more easily
• use more energy, which can speed up weight loss

Mysimba is taken daily and follows a dosage schedule, starting with 1 tablet each day and increasing to a maintenance dose of 2 tablets in the morning and evening from week 4 onwards.