You may have heard that Tirzepatide, which you may also know as Mounjaro® or ‘the weight loss drug’, is now available from primary care. However, in the first two years entry criteria have been set by NHS England to allow safe entry of this repurposed medicine into the health system.
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
A BMI of 40 kg/m2 or higher (37.5 kg/m2 for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds) and at least four of these additional conditions, which will already have been diagnosed by your GP or another medical professional:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidaemia
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
For patients who meet the eligibility criteria above in discussion with your GP a decision will be made whether or not Tirzepatide is the best treatment for you. If it is agreed that Tirzepatide is the right choice you will also be required to agree to engage with behavioural support and wraparound care
Please do not use the online request forms or telephone lines to request weight loss medication. The eligible patients will be contacted by the surgery once we further information and guidance is received from BLMK.