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NHS begins mass rollout of weight-loss injection through GPs
The Guardian
|June 23, 2025
Thousands of patients in England will be able to access weight-loss injections through their GP from today for the first time.
With family doctors allowed to prescribe the drugs for the first time, about 220,000 people with "greatest need" are expected to receive Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide and made by Eli Lilly, on the NHS over the next three years.
The drug works by lowering blood sugar levels and slows down how quickly food is digested.
From today, GPs in England will be allowed to prescribe Mounjaro to people with severe obesity alongside other health problems. Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight-loss service.
GP leaders said some family doctors had expressed concern about the additional workload, while pharmacy experts said there could be pressure on supplies of the drug.
This story is from the June 23, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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