The Mounjaro leaflet and PDF guide: what it tells you, and what to do with it

Step 1: Where to find the PDF before your pen arrives

You don't need to wait for your first box. The Mounjaro patient information leaflet PDF is hosted on the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC), which publishes the MHRA-approved Mounjaro SmPC and patient leaflet in full. Search for "Mounjaro" on that site, select your strength, and open the patient leaflet tab. That's the same text that's folded into the box, reading it in advance means your first injection day feels less like revision.

A quick habit worth forming: on the eMC page, check the "last updated" date in the document header. If it's newer than the leaflet in your current box, the digital version reflects any recent regulatory updates the paper copy may not yet carry. Takes about thirty seconds.

You can also find a plain-English overview of tirzepatide on the NHS medicines page for tirzepatide, which is written for patients rather than prescribers and is a useful complement to the formal leaflet language. For more background on how tirzepatide works as a treatment, the tirzepatide overview on this site covers the dual GIP and GLP-1 mechanism in plain terms.

Step 2: The sections that matter most, and in what order to read them

The leaflet is organised in a standard EU/UK format. Section 1 covers what Mounjaro is and what it's used for, weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above alongside a weight-related health condition, as well as type 2 diabetes. Section 2 is the one to study carefully: it lists conditions that affect whether treatment is suitable and medicines that may interact with tirzepatide.

The interaction section is where oral contraceptives appear. The leaflet (in line with MHRA guidance) advises that women using the pill should add a non-oral contraceptive method for the first four weeks of tirzepatide treatment and for four weeks after each dose increase, because tirzepatide slows gastric emptying and may reduce how well the pill is absorbed. If you're on HRT, NHS England advises discussing whether transdermal forms (patches or gels) are more appropriate. Our detailed guide to the Mounjaro patient information leaflet goes through the interactions section line by line.

Section 3 covers the dosing schedule (starting at 2.5 mg and titrating upward) and injection technique. Section 4 lists possible side effects. Section 5 covers storage: refrigeration between 2°C and 8°C, with a limited room-temperature window whose exact duration is stated in that section specifically; rely on that figure rather than anything repeated elsewhere.

Step 3: Side effects, what the leaflet flags and when to act

The most common side effects listed are gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and indigestion feature prominently. They are typically most noticeable in the first days after starting or after a dose increase, and for most people they settle as the body adjusts. The leaflet separates common from uncommon effects, and it separates those requiring routine monitoring from those requiring prompt medical attention.

Pancreatitis sits in the latter category. Severe, persistent stomach pain that spreads toward the back (with or without vomiting) warrants urgent medical assessment. The MHRA reinforced this in a Drug Safety Update published in January 2026, which is worth reading alongside the leaflet if you want the most current regulatory position on GLP-1 medicines and this risk.

The leaflet also lists allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and, in diabetic patients, changes to eyesight as reasons to contact a healthcare professional promptly. If you experience a side effect not listed, or if a listed one feels more severe than the leaflet describes, you can report it directly through the Yellow Card scheme, the link is on the NHS page above. For a fuller look at what clinical supervision during treatment involves, the Mounjaro information leaflet guide covers how prescribers use this information in follow-up reviews.

What the leaflet can't replace

The patient information leaflet answers general questions about the medicine. It cannot tell you whether a particular dose is right for you, whether to continue after a difficult week, or how to handle a situation the clinical trials didn't specifically address. Those answers come from a prescriber.

If you're considering starting treatment or reviewing your current plan, the Mounjaro leaflet page walks through the clinical background in more depth, and you can also download the tirzepatide consent form as a PDF so you can read through it before your consultation rather than for the first time during it. For questions about what the full treatment pathway looks like (including the cost structure and what a private prescription includes) the weight loss treatments page sets this out clearly. Treatment decisions are always made by a registered prescriber after a clinical assessment, and if you'd like to read the full prescribing information before that conversation, the Mounjaro patient leaflet on this site gives you everything in one place.

If you have unanswered questions after reading the leaflet, the FAQs cover the most common ones, or you can reach the team directly via the contact page. And if you're ready to begin, start your free consultation, a GPhC-registered prescriber, not software, will read your assessment the same day.