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Online pharmacy Pharmacy2U said it will freeze its Mounjaro (tirzepatide) prices for weight-loss patients “until further notice”, despite list price increases announced by the manufacturer Lilly.
Currently, pharmacies pay £92–122 for the drug, but from 1 September 2025, cost prices will go up to £133 for the 2.5mg dose and £330 for 12.5mg and 15.0mg doses.
However, The Pharmaceutical Journal has been told that Lilly has invited pharmacies to complete a commercial agreement with the manufacturer for supply of Mounjaro that will enable pharmacies to claim back a rebate — the value of which is as yet unconfirmed — so that they can reduce the cost to patients.
Lilly confirmed that pharmacies have been offered commercial terms but would not give more detail.
Pharmacy2U has already confirmed that it will not be passing on the increased cost to patients for now, saying: “Pharmacy2U has confirmed that it will freeze its current Mounjaro prices until further notice, following the news of the UK list price rising by up to 170%.
“We recognise that many patients rely on weight-loss treatments and may be concerned about the impact of this increase.
“Our focus is on ensuring continuity of care and minimising disruption to treatment. We remain committed to keeping medicines accessible, putting patients in control of their health and providing clear updates on any future changes.”
Other online pharmacies have offered patients Mounjaro “bundles” or “price-locked” Mounjaro programmes, and concerns have been raised about the impact of “stockpiling” on supply and patient health.
A promotional email sent by one online pharmacy, seen by The Pharmaceutical Journal, said it had “bundles” of Mounjaro available, containing packs of two or three pens in various strengths, with each pen containing four doses or one month’s supply.
Another online pharmacy encouraged patients to “lock in” a three, six or nine-month supply of the drug at current prices.
Graham Thoms, chief executive of Pharmadoctor, which provides clinical services and support to independent pharmacies, said: “In addition to putting additional pressure on the Mounjaro supply chain, which can lead to shortages, it is simply not clinically appropriate to provide patients with multiple pens of Mounjaro at one time, and could put patient’s health at risk.”
Pharmadoctor partner pharmacies should make sure each patient has “a face-to-face consultation every four weeks before they can be provided with another four weeks’ supply of Mounjaro to ensure it is clinically appropriate to continue their treatment”, he added.
Meanwhile, posts on social media suggest some patients are accessing the drug through multiple providers, in order to purchase several items at current prices.
Sue Stockden, a patient living in the West Midlands who currently takes privately prescribed Mounjaro, told The Pharmaceutical Journal that she knew of patients ordering up to seven or eight pens at a time by accessing them through multiple providers, often using credit cards to spend more than £1,000 to do so.
“I think it’s just panic… because this drug is such a lifeline to people, it really has changed my life, it’s changing people’s lives… [people have] that fear of not being able to sort of carry on with that potentially after September [2025], because of the price of it,” she said.
James Kingsland, chair of the Digital Clinical Excellence (DiCE) network, which supports primary care digital health providers, said the network “actively discourages” patients accessing the drug from multiple providers, stressing that continuity of care was as important in the private sector as in the NHS.
“We don’t want influencers advising people how to get it cheaper or from an alternative place. It’s a case of, you need to go to your provider and have a discussion based on clinical need and options,” he said.
Regarding “bundles” and subscription models, Kingsland highlighted that pre-payment prescription certificates are available to patients for NHS treatment.
He also suggested that private healthcare could consider how this could be done “appropriately”.
“Where you’re not stockpiling or looking for medicines that may not come from a proper supplier… it’s about how you can manage the balance between costs or affordability, and proper therapeutics,” he said.
Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, commented: “Weight-loss medicines should be used only after a thorough medical consultation with an appropriate healthcare professional, together with ongoing monitoring and support to ensure effectiveness and safety.
“We strongly advise against stockpiling, as this can create supply pressures. Prescription medicines should only ever be used by the individual they were prescribed for, ensuring appropriate oversight and support.
“We’re concerned around the dangers of counterfeit medicines from unregulated sources, as they may contain incorrect doses, harmful substances or no active ingredient at all.
“Anyone considering obtaining weight-loss medicines privately should only use a UK pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council [GPhC] and a valid prescription. If buying online, check the site displays the official green GPhC logo linking to the GPhC register.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This government is committed to ensuring that more people have access to these revolutionary drugs when needed, and crucially that they are able to so do in a safe and controlled way.
“Pricing in the private market is a matter for Lilly and for private providers of weight-loss and diabetes services. Lilly is working with providers to maintain patient access.
“NHS commissioning of tirzepatide, based on clinical priority, is unaffected by the change in list price.”
Box: Why are Mounjaro prices increasing?
List prices of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) KwikPen will increase from 1 September 2025 for private prescriptions in the UK, manufacturer Lilly confirmed on 15 August 2025.
The new list prices for pens on private prescriptions, which contain four weekly doses, will range from £133 for the 2.5mg dose to £330 for 12.5mg and 15.0mg doses. Current prices range from £92 to £122.
The company said the price increase aims to “address pricing inconsistencies compared to other developed countries, including in Europe”.
It noted that the UK launch price was “significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability”.
“With changes in the environment and new clinical evidence supporting the value of Mounjaro, we are now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation,” it added.
The price increase followed complaints by US president Donald Trump about the high cost of drugs in the United States.
On 14 August 2025, Lilly said that “the prices for medicines paid by governments and health systems need to increase in other developed markets like Europe in order to make them lower in the [United States]”.
The announcement does not affect the price the NHS pays for the drug, which is under a separate arrangement, with Lilly adding that it has “reached an agreement with the NHS to ensure continued supply and patient access”.
Mounjaro became eligible for primary care prescription to NHS patients from 23 June 2025.
On 12 August 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care announced that pilot weight management programmes, backed by £85m in funding, could run in pharmacies by summer 2026 — with Lilly contributing up to £35m of funding and the UK government up to £50m.
