UK households using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have been warned against switching to black market sellers or bulk buying.
UK households using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have been warned against switching to black market sellers or bulk buying.
UK households have been warned not to stockpile an item ahead of a price hike. UK households using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have been warned against switching to black market sellers or bulk buying.
Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, recently announced plans to increase the price of the medication in the UK by as much as 170% from September. Henry Gregg, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said: “We’d urge patients to avoid bulk ordering Mounjaro as well as buying the medication at massively reduced prices.
“Bulk ordering can have a significant impact on supply and pose a potential risk to patient safety. We’d also urge patients to avoid unlicensed sellers, who may be selling fake medication or medication that does not meet UK safety standards.
READ MORE 7 money changes in September including £7,500 benefit for parents
“Instead, we’d encourage them to speak to their prescriber, who can support them with any concerns they may have and provide them with the safe care they need.”
Graham Thoms, the chief executive of Pharmadoctor, a provider of clinical service packages to pharmacists, said: “The main query we are receiving from pharmacists is asking Pharmadoctor for guidance how to safely switch patients from Mounjaro to Wegovy should Mounjaro become price inhibited for patients.
“Our response is that would not be clinically appropriate.”
“We understand from those discussions that our partner pharmacies will need to purchase Mounjaro at the new higher prices from September, but will be able to claim back a rebate at the end of the month so long as they pass on the discount to patients,” he said.
“I know with some of my patients, [who] were already struggling with the current prices, that it would be really difficult for them to then, at such short notice, to be able to implement or budget for those kind of changes,” a second said.
“They’ve benefited from the medication, but they don’t necessarily sit in the remit of the NHS patients that are funded for it, because obviously, the NHS can’t fund for everything.”
One customer said: “I think the way they’ve gone about it is really bad. You’re meant to gradually build up your dose, so to introduce price increases at such short notice will mean people who stop mid course are likely to put weight back on rapidly.
“I might switch to a cheaper alternative but I expect I’ll face disappointment once I stop taking Mounjaro.”