Mounjaro prescription: Patients to be contacted in order of priority
People seeking prescription of the weight-loss drug tirzepatide (marketed as Mounjaro®) are being asked not to approach their GP practice or other healthcare providers to request the medication.
Instead, the treatment will be offered to people with the highest clinical need first, to prioritise those most likely to benefit and who are most at risk.
The drug, which is administered weekly by injection, has recently been recommended for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to support people living with obesity, who are in poor health and have several obesity-related conditions.
A phased national rollout of the treatment has been agreed and NHS Frimley is now working with local providers to set up the service for residents across East Berkshire, North East Hampshire, Surrey Heath and Farnham.
Once the service has been established, primary care providers - including GP practices - will use medical records to identify patients who meet the qualifying criteria and will contact them to offer the treatment.
The first group to be offered the drug will be people:
- who have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (adjusted for ethnicity) AND;
- who have at least FOUR of the following five weight-related conditions:
- Type 2 diabetes;
- high blood pressure (requiring treatment);
- heart disease (requiring medical therapies);
- obstructive sleep apnoea (requiring assistance with breathing at night), and;
- dyslipidaemia (abnormal blood fats), requiring treatment
The treatment will be opened up to further groups of patients after one year and then two years, with healthcare professionals again offering the treatment only to those patients that meet the relevant criteria at the time.
Tirzepatide works by mimicking gut hormones and making the brain think that the person is full, as well as slowing the rate at which the stomach empties.
Only specialist weight management services and primary care providers will be able to prescribe tirzepatide, which would be provided alongside dietary and physical activity guidance.
The drug has been offered since March through specialist weight management services to patients with the most significant weight-related health risks, as part of discussions covering all available treatment options.
Weight-loss medication is just one of a number of different treatments available to patients. There are other services which can support people to manage their weight and information on these can be found on the Frimley Health and Care website. Further advice and guidance on weight loss can be found on the NHS Better Health pages.
An estimated 220,000 people may qualify for tirzepatide over the three years of the rollout, although not all those who qualify will be suitable to take the drug, while some may choose not to for personal reasons.
People who have already been accessing weight loss medication privately should contact their private provider for support in connection with that treatment and supply.
Anyone who has other weight-related health concerns, not involving tirzepatide prescription, is advised to contact their GP practice in the usual way.