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Obesity Drug Dilemma: Patients Caught Between Cost and Eligibility
30 Aug
Summary
- Mounjaro injections transformed Julia Dore's life, but she now faces losing access
- Cost of Mounjaro set to more than double, making private treatment unaffordable
- Patients who paid privately now ineligible for NHS prescriptions, must regain weight
In August 2025, the weight-loss injection Mounjaro has been a game-changer for many, including 51-year-old Julia Dore. After a lifelong battle with obesity, Dore shed 5.5 stone in just six months, improving her health and self-esteem. However, she now faces an agonizing dilemma.
Dore had been paying privately for the injections since March 2025, as they were not yet available on the NHS. But just weeks later, the NHS announced they would offer the drug to the most severely ill patients. Dore assumed she would qualify, but by the time she saw her doctor, she had lost too much weight and no longer met the criteria. Her only option to get the injections on the NHS, she was told, would be to regain the weight - a prospect she described as "truly soul-destroying."
Adding to the challenge, the cost of Mounjaro is set to more than double from Monday, making private treatment increasingly unaffordable for many. Experts warn that patients like Dore, who paid out of pocket when the drug was not available on the NHS, are now caught in a frustrating bind, facing the difficult choice of either stopping the life-changing treatment or risking their health by regaining weight.
