Would I Be Eligible for Weight Loss Injections?

The biggest myth: if you don't look 'obese', you won't qualify

Most people who contact us believe weight loss injections are reserved for people at the higher end of the BMI scale. The reality is more nuanced. Both Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are licensed in the UK for adults with a BMI of 27 or above, provided that lower figure comes alongside at least one weight-related condition. High blood pressure qualifies. So does type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea or osteoarthritis. A person at BMI 28 with well-managed hypertension could legitimately meet the licensed criteria; a person at BMI 31 with no relevant health history might not be the strongest candidate depending on their broader clinical picture.

The threshold works both ways. A BMI of 30 on its own, with no other conditions, is enough under the licence. You don't need a comorbidity list. What matters is that a prescriber can look at the whole picture (not just a number from the NHS BMI calculator) and make a considered clinical judgement. That judgement is what protects you as much as the medicine itself.

There is one more layer worth knowing. For adults of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, clinical guidance applies BMI thresholds that are 2.5 kg/m² lower. So the effective starting point is 27.5 rather than 30, or 24.5 rather than 27 with a comorbidity. This reflects established evidence that metabolic risk appears at a lower BMI in these populations.

What a prescriber is actually looking for

Meeting the BMI threshold opens the door. It doesn't hand you the keys. A clinical assessment covers the conditions that may make treatment unsuitable or require extra care. A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 is a contraindication to both available injections. A history of acute pancreatitis prompts careful consideration; the MHRA highlighted pancreatitis as a known side effect of GLP-1 medicines in its January 2026 Drug Safety Update and advised that patients and clinicians remain alert to severe, persistent stomach pain. Certain gastrointestinal conditions, kidney function, and current medications all factor in.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and planning to conceive all mean these medicines are not recommended. The same applies to anyone under 18. None of this is a box-ticking exercise, it's why having a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber read your consultation personally matters more than any automated questionnaire.

The question our prescribers hear regularly is whether a borderline BMI or a mild comorbidity disqualifies someone. Often it doesn't. What it does is change the conversation. Sometimes a borderline case leads to a straightforward approval; sometimes it reveals that a different approach would serve someone better. That honest conversation is worth having before you order anything. If you're unsure where you stand, our page walking through whether you're eligible for weight loss injections covers the key criteria in plain terms. You can find a fuller breakdown of how to become eligible and what the assessment involves if you want to read ahead.

NHS criteria vs private criteria, and where the gap lies

If you've looked into NHS access and found the criteria confusing, you're not alone. The NHS route for Mounjaro (governed by NICE guidance TA1026) currently requires a BMI of 40 or above alongside four or more specific conditions from a list of five, and the rollout is phased, cohort two, covering BMI 35 to 39.9, only opened in June 2026. Wegovy is available on the NHS through specialist weight management services under a separate NICE recommendation, but waiting lists are commonly long and access varies widely by area.

Private eligibility through a regulated online pharmacy follows the licensed criteria set by the medicines' regulators, not the NHS commissioning thresholds. Those licensed thresholds are lower: BMI 30 (or 27 with a qualifying condition). This is why many people who are clinically suitable for treatment cannot yet access it through their GP, while qualifying privately. It's also why checking both routes makes sense, and why understanding who the licensed criteria actually cover can be genuinely useful before you assume the answer is no.

One practical note on timing: if you're planning to start before a holiday or at a point in the month when budget is clearer, ordering by 12pm on a weekday means same-day dispatch once clinically approved, arriving the next working day. Worth factoring in if a particular date matters to you.

For context on what private treatment involves financially, the cost of weight loss injections page sets out what a legitimate private price should include, prescription, clinical review and aftercare, not just the medicine itself.

Transferring from another provider or an existing prescription

A question that comes up regularly: if you're already on treatment through another clinic or pharmacy, does eligibility work differently at nume? Not materially. The same licensed criteria apply. What changes is the process. Transfer patients are asked to provide evidence of their current treatment and recent dose, this is a clinical requirement, not bureaucracy for its own sake. Confirming what you've been taking, and at what dose, allows our prescribers to continue treatment safely and review whether your current regimen is still the right fit.

A dose increase at any stage requires its own clinical review and evidence of progress. This applies to every patient, not just transfers. It reflects how these medicines are meant to work: titrated gradually, with clinical oversight at each step, and our page on how long you should be on weight loss injections explains what that longer-term journey typically looks like. If you have questions about how that works in practice, the FAQs page covers common scenarios, or you can reach our team directly. When you're ready to see whether you qualify, the free consultation page is the starting point, a prescriber reviews it the same day.