UK spurs prescribing of obesity jab Mounjaro with GP bonus

Doctors in the UK will be given thousands of pounds in bonus payments from April for prescribing Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Mounjaro under the 2026/27 GP contract.

The changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) incentive programme mean that GPs will be able to receive up to £3,000 per year for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) prescriptions and another £1,000 for referring patients to weight-loss programmes, according to a BBC report.

The initiative is backed by £25 million in guaranteed funding and is designed to address a situation in which some patients who are eligible for Mounjaro – a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist – are not being prescribed the drug.

Between 2023 and 2024, almost two-thirds (64.5%) of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be either overweight or living with obesity, raising their risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. The government has estimated that obesity costs the NHS about £11.4 billion every year.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that primary care is the key to unlocking the potential of drugs like Mounjaro to tackle the obesity crisis and reduce NHS costs. Last year, the health service started a phased rollout of Mounjaro to limit the financial impact of providing access to the drug.

"Weight loss drugs can be a real game-changer for those who need them. I'm determined that access should be based on need, not ability to pay," said DHSC Secretary Wes Streeting.

"Outside the NHS, we've seen those who can spare the cash buying privately, and the proliferation of rogue prescribers peddling dangerous unlicensed drugs that are putting patients at risk," he added. "'Investing in general practice will help bring this modern medicine to the many, not just the few, and help shift the focus of the NHS from treatment to prevention."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) welcomed the initiative, but called on the government to use the expertise pharmacies have in this area and commission them to provide weight management services on the NHS, rather than relying on 'overstretched' GPs.

"The NHS rollout of weight loss treatments remains very slow, and only a handful of patients are being treated. In some parts of the country, it has hardly begun at all," said Henry Gregg, the NPA's chief executive.

"This means that the vast majority of patients will be receiving weight loss treatment from their pharmacy."

Mounjaro is currently an option only for severely obese individuals with both a BMI of over 40 and weight-related complications, with a lower threshold of 37.5 for certain ethnicities. From next year, accessibility will be widened to include people with a BMI of 35 or more, plus comorbidities.