There’s been a lot of buzz lately: could your local high-street pharmacy soon offer weight-loss injections like Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy, (semaglutide) without you needing to see your GP first?
Access to GLP‑1 weight loss treatments on the NHS is expanding. Find out if you qualify for Mounjaro on the NHS and whether pharmacies will offer weight-loss jabs on the health service.
How to get Mounjaro on the NHS through your GP
As of June 2025, GPs in England can now prescribe Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for patients who meet very specific criteria. That includes having a BMI over 40 (or 37.5 for some ethnic groups) plus four weight-related health conditions—such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, abnormal blood fats, or sleep apnoea. These criteria aim to target the treatment where it’s most needed.
Estimates suggest up to 3.4 million people in the UK could be eligible, though due to NHS capacity constraints only around 220,000 are expected to actually receive the jab on the health service by 2028. Your GP may offer Mounjaro if they are ready and resourced to do so, provided you meet the eligibility criteria above. But not all GP practices will be ready just yet.
Could pharmacies offer weight loss jabs on the NHS?
There’s growing interest in having community pharmacies prescribe weight-loss injections through the NHS—much like how they already treat UTIs or sore throats under the Pharmacy First scheme.
While that hasn’t happened yet—and no official timeline has been confirmed—, it’s all part of the NHS’s long-term vision for expanding access to Mounjaro. If rolled out, eligible patients could get weight-loss medications at their local pharmacy for the usual NHS prescription fee of £9.90.
Why NHS investment in weight loss jabs could save billions
The cost of rolling out Mounjaro on the NHS is estimated to hit around £317 million a year by year three. But that’s still a fraction of the £11.4 billion the NHS spends annually on obesity-related conditions.
There’s strong evidence that Mounjaro is a cost-effective treatment for those who are eligible. Sustained weight loss can significantly reduce the risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia—the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing found that obesity in midlife increases your dementia risk by about 31%. By helping people lose weight safely, these treatments could help prolong people’s quality of life and save the NHS money in the long run.
Why pharmacies don’t yet offer GLP-1 medications on the NHS
Pharmacists are highly trusted, highly trained healthcare professionals with access to your full medication history.
They can offer face-to-face advice and help build a plan that works for you. They’re also easier to access for many people, especially those who might not have regular contact with a GP. Their local presence also makes it easier to offer integrated follow-up care, which would reduce the risk of people buying weight-loss medications from unregulated sources.
But community pharmacists already juggle a lot—from Pharmacy First consultations to flu vaccinations and chronic medication reviews. Adding GLP-1 prescribing to their plates won’t just mean ticking a new box. It will take proper funding, clinical pathways, and training to do it safely.
Using weight-loss medication requires more than just a prescription—you need close monitoring, support with side effects, and someone to help you stay on track over time. And without clear systems for follow-up, there’s a risk of fragmented care. Who ensures long-term adherence? Who provides ongoing coaching and tapering plans? Who notices changes in motivation, wellbeing, or treatment response? Pharmacies could be that support system, but only if the right infrastructure is in place.
How to access weight loss medicines if you don’t meet NHS criteria
If you're exploring weight-loss options like Mounjaro or Wegovy, the NHS is slowly opening up access, as we’ve explained above. But for now, it’s limited to people who meet strict criteria and whose GP is part of the rollout—and these weight loss treatments aren’t yet available from community pharmacies
If you don’t meet NHS criteria or want to explore treatment sooner, you may already be eligible through a private prescription. At Voy, our expert clinicians and dedicated health coaches will guide you through the process—assessing your eligibility, prescribing safely, and supporting you at every step.
Take our short eligibility quiz to see if you qualify for Voy’s science-backed programme. If you're a good fit, we’ll be in touch with next steps. You’ll receive personalised care from a clinical team who understands that real results come from more than just medication. With the right support, sustainable weight loss is possible.
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