What You Need to Qualify for Mounjaro: The UK Criteria

What the licensed criteria say, and where they come from

Mounjaro's UK licence was granted on the basis of the SURMOUNT clinical programme, which enrolled thousands of adults with obesity or overweight plus weight-related health conditions. SURMOUNT-1, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed average body-weight reductions of around 20–21% over 72 weeks at the highest dose, results that informed both the licensing decision and NICE's subsequent recommendation. Those trial populations set the template for who the medicine is designed for.

Under the terms of the UK marketing authorisation, Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults whose BMI is 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 alongside at least one weight-related condition. Conditions that satisfy that second threshold include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (raised cholesterol or triglycerides), obstructive sleep apnoea, and cardiovascular disease, but the list is not exhaustive, and a prescriber can consider other clinically relevant conditions too.

For context on how the BMI number is calculated and where you sit, the NHS BMI calculator is a useful starting point before your consultation. You can also read through what BMI you need to get Mounjaro for a deeper breakdown of how the thresholds work.

The criteria NICE set for NHS access, and why private eligibility differs

NICE's technology appraisal TA1026, published in December 2024 and updated in September 2025, recommends tirzepatide for NHS use in adults with a BMI of 35 or above and at least one weight-related comorbidity, within a specialist weight management service. That is a stricter threshold than the licensed criteria above, it reflects NHS resource constraints, not the medicine's clinical suitability. If NICE's bar is the standard your GP quotes, it does not mean you cannot access Mounjaro; it means the NHS route has tighter gatekeeping.

Private prescribing works from the licensed criteria (BMI 30+, or 27+ with a qualifying condition), and a GPhC-registered prescriber applies clinical judgement across that entire range. The NHS is also rolling out access in phases: as of June 2026, Cohort 2 has opened for adults with a BMI of 35 to 39.9 alongside four or more of five specified conditions. Waiting lists vary considerably by area.

For a fuller picture of how NHS phasing compares to a private route, the qualifying routes for Mounjaro are set out in detail on a dedicated page. If cost is part of your thinking, a Mounjaro price comparison sets out what private treatment typically involves in the UK.

What a prescriber actually looks at beyond your BMI

A question our prescribers hear most weeks is: "I've checked my BMI and I meet the number, why do I still need a full consultation?" The answer is that BMI is the entry point, not the destination. A prescriber reviewing your case will consider your medical history, current medicines, and any contraindications set out in the Mounjaro SmPC.

Mounjaro is not suitable for people with a personal or close family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2. A history of pancreatitis warrants careful discussion. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying to conceive are all situations where Mounjaro is not recommended, the prescriber will ask about these directly. People under 18 are outside the licensed age range. None of this is box-ticking: it is the clinical work that keeps the medicine safe for the people it does suit.

At nume, every consultation is read by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber on the same day it is submitted. Photo-ID verification and live weight confirmation are part of the process, and your GP is notified in line with GPhC guidance. You can review how we work if you want to understand the clinical infrastructure before you start. For general queries before committing to a consultation, our FAQs cover the most common questions.

Ethnic background thresholds and other adjustments worth knowing

UK clinical guidance recognises that BMI can underestimate adiposity-related health risk in some populations. For adults from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, the qualifying BMI thresholds are typically set 2.5 kg/m² lower, so 27.5 rather than 30 for the general threshold, and 24.5 rather than 27 for the condition-related route. The specific BMI figures that qualify for Mounjaro are covered in more detail alongside the ethnic-background adjustment, and a practical self-check guide walks through the full picture.

One more practical point: if you are currently on Mounjaro through another provider and want to transfer your care, a prescriber will still need to see evidence of your current dose and treatment history before continuing. Dose increases at nume also require clinical re-review. That consistent oversight is not an obstacle, it is the reason treatment stays safe over the long term.

If you think you meet the criteria and want a prescriber to assess your case, start your free consultation and a member of our clinical team will review your answers the same day.