Patients in the UK who rely on Mounjaro to help them manage their weight are on the verge of being hit with a significant cost increase. Come September, that price will jump exponentially by as much as 170%. Just this week, Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company that produces Mounjaro, announced a major price increase. This announcement has raised concern among patients and the medical community alike.
At present, Mounjaro costs around £200 for a 30-day supply of the top dose via most internet pharmacy services. Rose, a patient on the drug, pays £202 per month for the maximum maintenance dose of 15mg. “When I saw that, my heart just dropped, because I thought: ‘Oh gosh, how am I going to be able to justify the expense?’” she stated. The dramatic price increase comes on the heels of growing scrutiny over the cost of drugs in the U.S. This pressure, exacerbated by the previous Trump administration, may shape pricing strategies globally.
Mounjaro has a monopoly on weight loss treatments in the UK. Even more amazing, it accounts for a miraculous 98% of all prescriptions provided in Pharmadoctor’s network of partner pharmacies. In fact, shortly after the price increase announcement, Pharmadoctor got overwhelmed with requests. Pharmacists, too, joined patients in sounding alarms over what this policy shift would mean for the care they were receiving.
Patients using Mounjaro need to do in-person check-ins every month to make sure the medication stays appropriate for their situation. In these discussions, practitioners don’t just provide wraparound support—they reaffirm and revisit the patient’s personal goals. Many patients are now expressing anxiety about affording continued access to their prescriptions.
Henry Gregg of online pharmacy Chemist4U warned against stockpiling Mounjaro in anticipation of the future price hike. He emphasized that “bulk ordering can have a significant impact on supply and pose a potential risk to patient safety.” Gregg reiterated his frequent warning that patients should avoid unlicensed vendors at all costs. These sellers may be trafficking in fake medications or goods that don’t adhere to UK safety requirements.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has recently raised the alarm on these increasing costs. Thousands of patients have already been helped by Mounjaro. Patients ineligible for NHS funding are fretting about the future of their care.
Healthcare advocates have heard from patients who can’t figure out how to afford these new expenses. Here’s what one professional had to say about their challenges, anonymously. They pointed out that many of their patients were having difficulty with existing prices and that it would be difficult for them to introduce or plan for changes on such short notice.
In response to the price increase, there has been an astronomically 850 percent jump in prescription orders for Mounjaro just-in-time refill orders for the drug. On that weekend after the announcement, requests increased suddenly by 5,000%. … at the same time, interest in making the switch to Wegovy, another weight loss medication, skyrocketed by 1,500%. Eli Lilly has touted patients concerned with affordability to start making the switch to Wegovy as a cheaper alternative.
Now, healthcare professionals are sounding the alarm about dangerous trends on social media platforms—including TikTok. This development is occurring amidst huge buzz around Mounjaro and its alternatives. Alarming reports of microdosing with Mounjaro—the brand name for the diabetes medicine tirzepatide—have emerged, bringing attention to serious dangers of undercutting proven patient treatment pathways. “Our response is that would not be clinically appropriate,” commented Thoms, a healthcare professional.