Accessing Mounjaro for weight loss
Your general practice or hospital services will not be able to prescribe this medication to you for obesity until arrangements are in place.
Please do not contact your GP or hospital service for medication for weight management as they have been asked not to prescribe it at this time.
Update on availability of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to support weight loss: Kent & Medway ICS
Access to general practice is difficult and resources are limited, therefore we would like very much to avoid booking unnecessary appointments for patients that do not qualify for Mounjaro injections, as this would block access to patients that are unwell and need to be seen by a doctor.
Although it has been announced that it will become available in general practice settings from Monday, 23 June (for a specific patient cohort) arrangements are still being made to mobilise a provider of the necessary Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing (BSOP) that is required as per the latest NICE guidelines.
Until this service is in place in Kent and Medway, it is not possible for GPs to prescribe tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in primary care until further notice.
Also the criteria to qualify for Mounjaro is as follows:
BMI of 40 or more (you need your weight and type to find out your BMI) it will be checked at the appointment to confirm is above 40 if it is not above 40 please do not book an appointment
If BMI is above 40 then you will also need to have been diagnosed with four of the following five criteria
- Diagnosed hypertension
- Diagnosed sleep apnoea
- Diagnosed type 2 diabetes
- Diagnosed cardiovascular disease
- Diagnosed hypercholesterolemia
If you do not have a BMI above 40 and four of the conditions above your GP will not be able to prescribe you Mounjaro for weight loss. (Based on the current guidance). Hence, we request that appointments are not booked for this purpose.
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