NHS weight loss injections

[foldthecheese]

Hi, I am due to see the practice nurse at my Doctors surgery on Wednesday morning. I intend to talk to the nurse about the possibility of me being prescribed a weight loss injection. I am very overweight but struggle to lose by dieting.

I am T2 diabetic and have high blood pressure, so I think I am and ideal candidate on paper but when I asked last March I was refused it on the basis that even if they wanted to prescribe it to me they couldn't as it was out of stock having been bought up by the private sector.

I believe that manufacturing has now been stepped up and it is more readily available, however I've also heard that because of the town I live in I will not be prescribed it. I've been told that it's not available on the NHS in my town (a colleague gave me this info).

Are the weight loss injections a postcode lottery, does it really depend on where you live as to whether it will be prescribed or not, even if you should be eligible on paper?

Theee is no shortage op and no I don’t think it is about postcode. It will be for you about the best medication for your diabetes, that is what will dictate your prescription. Only the tier 3 clinic can prescribe for weight loss. But gp’s and diabetes nurses can prescribe for diabetes.

Thank you for the reply, that gives me a little hope that it won't be a forgone conclusion! Fingers crossed 🤞

Good luck, you may get lucky,

If they won't prescribe, would you consider going private? Many people find that the cost (average 30-40 per week) if offset by fewer takeaways and snacks and booze but it obviously depends on your current lifestyle.

Yes it is a post code lottery sadly. I recall as late as December last year my GP surgery were still trying to get me on the shakes and soup programme, despite giving me two to three months of Victoza on a capped dose in the past before that ran out.

That Panorama programme said 9 out of 10 of us will have to go private if we want to be lucky to take these medications or go without.

You may be lucky but that panorama programme last month didn’t fill me with hope, and I refrain from asking people in the next county who I know when they’ve made it public they are on the injections. I’m glad in a way the GP surgery wouldn’t answer, I only know my brother locally to be on it when he is able to reduce insulin and is a severe diabetic, under the hospital, unable to exercise due to injury.

The op has diabetes. No gp in the uk is permitted to prescribe for weight loss. They can prescribe for diabetes.

for weight loss it can only be prescribed by tier 3 weight management clinic,

First cohort are likely to be BMI >45 and at least 1 weight related co-morbidity. What's your BMI? But you may be able to get it for DM rather than for obesity per se.

She won’t get it for weight loss, it isn’t allowed, the nhs doesn’t permit anyone other than the clinics to prescribe for weight loss. But she has a fair chance of getting it if she’s diabetic, as they prescribe it for that.

There was a shortage last year. It's fine now. But from the NHS with T2 you will get tablets not injections. Rybelsus. Which is semaglutide the same drug as ozempic but in tablet form.

It's coming to primary care later this year but still being planned. First cohort will likely be as per my post above, for tirzepatide. Semaglutide staying secondary care for obesity.

That’s not the case everywhere. Friend is a diabetes nurse and had 200 patients on Mounjaro.

Someone at work gets it on the nhs, she is also a t2 diabetic. Good luck.

Yes but via tier 3 weight management clinics, not gp’s.

edit, to clarify, the gp refers you to the clinic, the clinic decides, after you complete the program if you should have drugs or surgery, for most it is surgery.

gps cannot prescribe for weightloss and will not be able to in th4 summer.

No, via some sort of clinic in primary care for tirzepatide, not via tier 3 clinics. Read the nice guidance.

@Gettingslimmer

https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/nice-describes-how-weight-loss-drug-tirzepatide-will-be-rolled-out

The NICE guidance is a lot of….guidance. It won’t be implemented due to cost.

currently for your diabetes - that is your only route, you need to have tried several different oral options and a combination of meds without lowering your hba1c to be eligible. Basically it’s at the point where you’d be on insulin as an alternative.

It's being implemented bit by bit, 300,000 patients or so per year over the next 12 years.

This is key. Is your diabetes controlled well with your current regime? What's your latest HBA1c? If it is, then they have no reason to prescribe it for that.