GPs can prescribe tirzepatide to priority patient groups from June

General practitioners will be able to prescribe the weight loss injection tirzepatide (Mounjaro) to “prioritised patient cohorts” from 23 June, NHS England has said.

New interim commissioning guidance instructs integrated care boards (ICBs) to meet the funding costs of tirzepatide and sets out a phased implementation plan for the next three years.1

Last June the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published draft guidance recommending tirzepatide for use in primary care settings and specialist weight management services.2 NICE estimated that the total population eligible for tirzepatide was 3.4 million people.

NHS England called for a phased rollout of the treatment to avoid overwhelming the NHS.3 NICE accepted this request in its final guidance published in December and asked NHS England to develop a detailed …