How to get the weight loss injection in the UK

Step 1: Check whether you're likely to be eligible

Both Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above if you have at least one weight-related condition, things like high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. That's the starting point, not a guarantee. A prescriber also looks at your medical history, current medicines and anything that might make these treatments unsuitable, so BMI alone never decides it.

If you're unsure where you sit, the NHS BMI calculator is a useful first check before you book anything. Worth a minute of your time.

It's also worth knowing what these injections actually do before you go further. Our plain-English explanation of how the weight loss injection works covers the science without the jargon.

Step 2: Choose your route, NHS or private regulated pharmacy

There are two ways to get a prescription in the UK, and they work quite differently.

The NHS route for Mounjaro is being rolled out in phases. From June 2025, NHS England began prescribing to adults with a BMI of 40 or above and four or more specific weight-related conditions. A second cohort (BMI 35–39.9 with four or more conditions) became eligible in June 2026, with further cohorts planned through 2027. NHS England's weight-management injections guidance sets out the full criteria. Wegovy on the NHS is available through specialist weight management services under NICE guidance, though waiting lists are commonly long. If you meet the current criteria and your GP practice is participating, the NHS is worth exploring first.

The private route through a GPhC-registered online pharmacy doesn't require a referral or a wait. You complete a consultation, a prescriber reviews it (usually the same day) and, if you're clinically suitable, a prescription is issued. If you're based locally, our page on weight loss injections in Benfleet explains how you can access treatment through our pharmacy. You can find out more about what the weight loss injection involves through a private service before committing to anything.

If you want to compare these two options in more detail, the guide to accessing the newer weight loss injections covers both routes side by side.

Step 3: Complete a clinical consultation and get a prescription

Whether you go NHS or private, a real prescriber reviews your case. There is no legal shortcut. Any seller offering these medicines without asking about your health, your medicines or your history is either unlicensed or operating outside UK law, and the MHRA has documented serious harm from counterfeit pens sold this way, including fake products that have contained insulin.

At a reputable private pharmacy, the consultation covers your BMI, relevant conditions, current medications and any contraindications. If you're wondering how you can get weight loss injections and what the process looks like from start to finish, our dedicated guide walks through each stage clearly. At nume, every consultation is read by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber, not software. Once approved, treatment is dispatched the same day (for orders placed before 12pm, Monday to Friday) and arrives the next working day via tracked DPD delivery, in plain unbranded packaging.

One thing our prescribers hear fairly often: people who were nervous about how thorough the process would be, pleasantly surprised that it was actually thorough. That's the point.

For context on what a monthly course typically costs privately, the weight loss treatments page sets out what's included in the price.

Step 4: Understand what happens after your prescription is issued

Getting the prescription is step three, not the finish line. Both Mounjaro and Wegovy are titrated: you start on a low dose (2.5mg for Mounjaro, 0.25mg for Wegovy) and your prescriber reviews progress before any increase. The starting dose exists to let your body adjust, most people notice gastrointestinal effects like nausea or loose stools early on, and these typically settle within the first couple of weeks.

Every repeat order through a regulated private pharmacy should be clinically re-reviewed, not automatically dispatched. At nume, no order goes out without a prescriber seeing it first. There are no subscriptions and no auto-renewals.

If you want practical guidance on using the injector pen correctly, the step-by-step on how to take the weight loss injection walks through technique, rotation sites and storage. And if you need to dispose of used pens safely, a 1-litre sharps container is the right way to do it, never in household bins.

Ready to find out if you're suitable? You can speak to our prescribers through a free consultation, with no obligation to proceed.