Private Mounjaro criteria: what you need to qualify

You've looked up the criteria because you're not sure you meet the NHS threshold

That's the situation most people are in when they find this page. NHS access to tirzepatide is phased and currently restricted to adults with a BMI of 40 or more alongside four or more of a defined set of conditions, and you can read through the Mounjaro NHS criteria in detail to see exactly how those thresholds and qualifying conditions are defined. The NHS Mounjaro criteria are designed to prioritise those with the highest clinical need first, which means many people who would genuinely benefit are not yet eligible through that route.

Private prescribing uses the criteria set out in Mounjaro's UK marketing authorisation. Those are broader. If your BMI is 30 or above, you meet the BMI threshold for a private prescription. If your BMI sits between 27 and 29.9, you can still qualify, provided a prescriber confirms at least one weight-related comorbidity. Common qualifying conditions include high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and osteoarthritis, though the list is not exhaustive, the prescriber exercises clinical judgement.

For more detail on how private access compares to NHS access, the private Mounjaro overview covers both routes side by side. The NHS overview of tirzepatide on the NHS medicines page is also a useful plain-English reference.

The part of the criteria that surprises most applicants

BMI is the starting point, not the finish line. Prescribers also need to be satisfied that Mounjaro is appropriate given your broader health history. Certain conditions require particular care: a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, a history of pancreatitis, and some gastrointestinal conditions are examples that a prescriber will discuss with you directly.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and actively trying to conceive are all situations where Mounjaro is not recommended; anyone in those circumstances should discuss options with their GP. The medicine is not licensed for under-18s. These aren't edge cases, they're part of every clinical assessment.

One detail that catches people off guard: the standard BMI thresholds are adjusted downward by 2.5 kg/m² for people of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, reflecting UK clinical guidance on how weight-related health risk distributes differently across ethnic groups. So a BMI of 27.5 with a qualifying condition, for example, could be sufficient in those groups. If you are unsure where you sit, the BMI guidance for private Mounjaro covers this in full.

Worth knowing: if you are currently on Mounjaro prescribed elsewhere and want to continue, a prescriber will ask for evidence of your current dose and treatment history before approving a repeat. That is standard clinical practice, not bureaucracy for its own sake.

What the private assessment actually involves

A private consultation is not a form you fill in and a system auto-approves. At nume, a named GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reads your answers the same day, the same clinician who would sign the prescription. Photo ID is verified, and weight is confirmed on a live video call. For transfers and dose increases, supporting evidence is reviewed before anything is approved.

The assessment covers your BMI, your qualifying conditions, your current medications (some interactions matter, oral contraceptives, for instance, may need a back-up method during the first four weeks of tirzepatide and after each dose increase, because absorption of the pill can be reduced), your medical history and any relevant contraindications. Your GP is notified in line with GPhC guidance. It is a genuine clinical review.

Once approved, treatment is dispatched the same day for orders placed before noon, Monday to Friday, and arrives the next working day via DPD in plain packaging, your pen goes straight into the fridge door alongside everything else. Our clinical team is available for aftercare seven days a week. Full details of how everything is included at one transparent price are on our treatment page.

Private criteria versus GP prescribing: what's changing

From April 2026, some GP practices began prescribing tirzepatide under a new NHS contract, but participation is optional and coverage varies significantly by area. If your GP is not yet offering it, private prescribing remains the most accessible route for most people. The criteria for a GP to prescribe Mounjaro differ again from both the private licence and the NHS phased rollout, so it is worth reading before assuming your surgery can help.

NICE's appraisal of tirzepatide, TA1026, set the NHS thresholds and is publicly available. Private prescribing is governed by the SmPC, not by TA1026, which is why the criteria diverge. For people who don't meet the NHS threshold or can't wait, private treatment through a regulated, GPhC-registered pharmacy is the legal, clinically supervised alternative. If you want to understand more about the treatment itself before starting, the Mounjaro overview covers how tirzepatide works, trial evidence and what to expect.

Ready to see whether you qualify? Start your free consultation and a prescriber will review your application the same day.