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Pharmacy bodies have warned that demand for the weight-loss drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro: Eli Lilly) — which can now be prescribed by GPs — will exceed supply.
In statements given to The Pharmaceutical Journal, pharmacy bodies added that pharmacies could offer support services to patients newly prescribed the drug.
Mounjaro became eligible for primary care prescription to NHS patients from 23 June 2025, following National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) interim commissioning guidance, which was published in March 2025.
Integrated care boards can choose from four models of primary care provision, including prescribing by GPs.
The drug was made available to patients via specialist weight management clinics from the date the interim guidance was published in March 2025.
It estimates that an estimated 220,000 patients could be prescribed the drug during the first three years of a phased introduction to NHS patients in England.
In the first year of its availability via primary care, eligible patients must have a body mass index of 40 or above and have four or more comorbidities from a list that includes: hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
In October 2024, NHS England published proposals for the rollout of the glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist, which it said could be used to treat 1.6 million people by 2036.
Commenting on the drug’s availability via primary care, Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said there was huge demand for GLP-1 RA weight-loss drugs, with some GPs directing patients back to pharmacies to access the treatments privately.
“As the NHS is now moving to NICE guidance, and tirzepatide becomes prescribable to more patients, we expect to see prescription volumes increase rapidly,” he added.
“However, NHS provision won’t meet demand straight away, so we fully expect that many people will continue seeking it privately from a pharmacy.”
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “Building on the expertise developed through private weight-loss services, community pharmacies would be well placed to deliver wraparound weight-loss care, to increase access where needed.”
Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said the college was pleased to see the phased introduction of Mounjaro, but added: “As and when this is escalated, appropriate resourcing for general practice — including access to ‘wraparound’ services — and training for GPs must follow.
“The interim guidance from NHS England is a good start, and we note the different possible delivery models. There is a potential role for GPs in supporting any model but what’s vital is that GPs are communicated with and guidance updated as more patients become eligible for this treatment.”
Earlier in June 2025, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that women taking GLP-1 RAs must use effective contraception, with those taking Mounjaro requiring a non-oral contraceptive.
In guidance published on 5 June 2025, the MHRA said that GLP-1 RAs — which include semaglutide and liraglutide, as well as tirzepatide — should not be taken during pregnancy, just before trying to get pregnant or while breastfeeding.
It also advised that those taking tirzepatide should use a non-oral form of contraception, such as a condom, or a non-oral contraceptive, such as the coil or implant, for four weeks after starting the drug and for four weeks after any increase in dose.
