Start your weight loss journey today with unlimited clinical support

Before considering any weight loss medication, it's essential to prioritise healthy lifestyle changes. Incorporating a balanced diet and regular physical activity into your routine can be an effective way to achieve weight loss goals.

By adopting a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, you equip your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally while curbing excess calorie intake. Think of incorporating colourful vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats into your meals.

Complementing your dietary adjustments, regular physical activity is a cornerstone in the journey towards shedding unwanted pounds. Engaging in activities that elevate your heart rate, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling, not only burns calories but also improves cardiovascular health and boosts metabolism. Finding enjoyable forms of exercise can make it easier to commit to a consistent routine. For instance, you might explore dance classes, yoga sessions, or even recreational sports that pique your interest, fostering a positive relationship with movement.

However, for some individuals, additional support may be needed.

A BMI in the healthy range for your height, gender, and age, along with a healthy waist size, means there is a lower risk of conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, plus day-to-day benefits like less tiredness and joint pain.

A healthy weight can also mean having more energy, which in turn provides motivation to incorporate regular exercise into your day-to-day routine. This helps you to maintain that healthy weight and can also support positive mental health and wellbeing.

Making positive lifestyle changes can be beneficial. You can start increasing your light activity, such as walking or stretching, and change your eating habits by consuming smaller, slower meals, foods higher in protein and fibre, and avoiding greasy or heavy meals. It’s also essential to stay well-hydrated, so be sure to have water readily available to sip throughout the day.

The most important thing you can do is to speak to a doctor as they can help you understand if the side effects you’re experiencing are typical and check over any potential severe symptoms

Losing weight fast isn’t the goal, but losing it in a healthy, manageable way to reach your agreed-upon goals set with your clinician. The best way to maximise the chances of achieving your goals while taking weight loss medication is to combine it with positive lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy, well-balanced diet.

A reduced appetite doesn’t automatically mean you’ll miss out on nutrients, but it can happen if you’re eating less or choosing only very light foods. Your appetite may change, but not your body's nutritional needs, so the key is to ensure your diet includes nutrient-dense foods high in protein, fibre, and healthy fats, alongside a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Our Online Doctor service is designed to offer you safe, high-quality care that’s both convenient and clinically robust. Depending on the condition you're seeking treatment for and the consultation programme in use, we work in partnership with trusted third-party healthcare providers to deliver the service.

While Pharmacy2U facilitates the process, your consultation and treatment are provided directly by a dedicated team of registered clinicians. This separation ensures that prescribing decisions are made independently and in your best interest, in line with healthcare regulations.

Our clinical partners:

• Expert Health Ltd provides the clinical and prescribing aspects for many of our services. Expert Health is registered in England and Wales (company number 04058287), with its registered office at Lumina, Park Approach, Thorpe Park, Leeds, LS15 8GB. Expert Health is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which means its services meet high standards of safety, effectiveness, and patient care. For healthcare regulatory purposes, the Expert Health’s Online Doctor Service is overseen by their Registered Manager.

Dispensing:

Prescriptions issued as part of the Online Doctor service are dispensed by Pharmacy2U, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This ensures your medicines are dispensed safely, securely, and to the highest professional standards. 

If you have any questions about your consultation, prescription, or delivery, our customer care team is here to help.

The NHS recommends using your Body Mass Index or BMI as an indicator of a healthy weight range. The BMI is a score that’s calculated based on your height, weight, and age. The score for a healthy weight, depending on these factors, sits between 18.5 and 24.9.

To get a better picture of your weight health, the NHS advises that you should also measure your waist size. This is because excess fat in your tummy area can mean a higher risk of health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

It’s recommended that you may need to lose weight if you’re female and your waist size is over 31.5 inches or if you’re male, 37 inches.

Before considering any weight loss medication, it's essential to prioritise healthy lifestyle changes. Incorporating a balanced diet and regular physical activity into your routine can be effective in achieving weight loss goals.

By adopting a balanced and nutrient-rich diet, you equip your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally while curbing excess calorie intake. Think of incorporating colourful vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats into your meals.

Complementing your dietary adjustments, regular physical activity is a cornerstone in the journey towards shedding unwanted pounds. Engaging in activities that elevate your heart rate, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling, not only burns calories but also improves cardiovascular health and boosts our metabolism. Finding enjoyable forms of exercise can make it easier to commit to a consistent routine. For instance, you might explore dance classes, yoga sessions, or even recreational sports that pique your interest, fostering a positive relationship with movement.

However, for some individuals, additional support may be needed. There are prescription-only medicines available that can help with weight loss, in some circumstances. These are only available after a consultation with a doctor.

You could be eligible for our weight loss treatments if:

• you are aged 18 to 75 and;

• you have a BMI over 30 or;

• you have a BMI over 27 and have been diagnosed with a condition that is made worse by weight gain, such as a heart condition

Weight loss injections can aid with weight loss because they contain medicines that regulate appetite and help people feel fuller for longer. They contain an active ingredient that mimics a naturally occurring hormone in our bodies called ‘glucagon-like peptide 1’, or GLP-1. This ingredient is different depending on the brand of weight loss injection prescribed, but each works in a very similar way by slowing down food moving through the gut. This, in turn, can prolong the feeling of fullness and reduce the urge to eat as much and as often, reducing calorie intake and encouraging weight loss. It’s important to note that all weight loss injections prescribed through Pharmacy2U Online Doctor have been clinically proven to be most effective when used in conjunction with a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise. These include Wegovy (active ingredient – semaglutide), Mounjaro (active ingredient – tirzepatide), and Saxenda (active ingredient – liraglutide).    

Weight loss tablets work in different ways depending on their active ingredient. Orlistat, which is an NHS-approved weight loss treatment, works by limiting how much fat from food is absorbed by the body, and could aid weight loss when taken in conjunction with a low-fat diet and regular exercise. Orlistat can be purchased from a pharmacy in lower doses under the brand name Alli. Orlistat is taken around the time of a meal, up to three times a day. 

If opting for a private treatment, the cost of weight loss injections will be set by the clinical provider who prescribes them. This cost will vary depending on the brand of weight loss injection prescribed, and the strength of the medication. Some weight loss injections are available on the NHS as a weight management option for certain patients, and in these instances, the cost will be the standardised NHS prescription fee (currently £9.65 per item) unless you are exempt from paying for your NHS prescriptions.  

To get an idea of costs for the prescription weight loss injections within the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor range and learn more about each treatment, you can visit our Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Saxenda information pages. 

Whether you’re seeking treatment through the NHS or a private healthcare provider, each patient will be assessed on an individual basis to determine their eligibility for weight loss injections as a treatment option.

Pharmacy2U provides a treatment range including weight loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro. Every person is different, so your recommended weight loss treatment will be provided by the clinician based on your individual circumstances.

You’ll find detailed information about each weight loss treatment by selecting the associated product card on this page. Find out how each treatment works, who can and can’t take it, and the associated side effects of each. You’ll also find more information, guidance, and advice on weight loss on our Health Hub. 

 Our Online Doctor service is designed to offer you safe, high-quality care that’s both convenient and clinically robust. Depending on the condition you're seeking treatment for and the consultation programme in use, we work in partnership with trusted third-party healthcare providers to deliver the service.

While Pharmacy2U facilitates the process, your consultation and treatment are provided directly by a dedicated team of registered clinicians. This separation ensures that prescribing decisions are made independently and in your best interest, in line with healthcare regulations.

Our clinical partners:

• Expert Health Ltd provides the clinical and prescribing aspects for many of our services. Expert Health is registered in England and Wales (company number 04058287), with its registered office at Lumina, Park Approach, Thorpe Park, Leeds, LS15 8GB. Expert Health is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which means its services meet high standards of safety, effectiveness, and patient care. For healthcare regulatory purposes, the Expert Health’s Online Doctor Service is overseen by their Registered Manager.

Dispensing:

Prescriptions issued as part of the Online Doctor service are dispensed by Pharmacy2U, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This ensures your medicines are dispensed safely, securely, and to the highest professional standards. 

If you have any questions about your consultation, prescription, or delivery, our customer care team is here to help.

A two‑month supply allows you to receive two months of your clinically approved weight loss plan from a single consultation with your clinician, subject to their review of your eligibility and suitability.

Eligibility for a two‑month supply is based on a full clinical assessment, which includes verification of your weight and BMI, as well as ensuring you are already using a medicated weight loss service, whether with Pharmacy2U or another provider, for at least one month and are on (or due to be on) a maintenance dose. If you’ve used another provider previously, the clinician will need to verify your treatment history before approving a two‑month supply

It is available on both Mounjaro and Wegovy, except the 7.2mg dose of Wegovy.

You get two of the same doses of your clinically approved weight loss plan, which equals two-month's supply, subject to a full consultation with your clinician.

The two-month supply service is only available to existing weight loss patients who have completed one full month of treatment, whether with Pharmacy2U or another provider, and are on or due to go on to a maintenance dose (as you can only request two of the same doses rather than two different doses). If you’ve used another provider previously, the clinician will need to verify your treatment history before approving a two‑month supply.

Your clinician will solely determine whether a one or two‑month supply of your clinically approved weight loss plan is appropriate based on your treatment plan.

Even if you are eligible and your clinician has agreed that you can order a two-month supply, if you still only wish to order one month’s supply at a time, you can continue to do so.

A two-month supply is not a clinical option for new Online Doctor patients who are not currently on a medicated weight loss plan. It may be an option for existing Pharmacy2U Online Doctor weight loss patients and patients joining Pharmacy2U directly from another medicated weight loss provider. However, if you have used another provider previously, the clinician will need to verify your treatment history before approving a two‑month supply and your eligibility is solely determined by them.

There is no single ‘best’ injection, or treatment of any kind, for weight loss. The most suitable weight loss treatment for you depends on your individual health profile, your BMI, and your clinician’s assessment of your consultation form. 

To find the right type of weight loss support for you from Pharmacy2U, you first need to complete a consultation at a time that suits you to let us know about you and your health profile. This will be reviewed by our expert clinicians who will consider any treatment preferences and recommend a suitable next step. 

To understand what happens when you stop, it’s important to know what happens to your body when you’re on weight loss medication. Depending on which medication you’re on, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, they work by mimicking the actions of naturally occurring gut hormones like GLP-1 and GIP that regulate appetite and blood sugar levels.  

When you stop taking your weight loss medication, your body will experience hormonal changes. This means you might well see an increase in your appetite, so the likelihood of putting the weight back on you have previously lost increases. One study from 2022 found that after 68 weeks of weight loss treatment injections, the average patient saw a drop of 15% in their body weight, but within one year from the end of their treatment, patients saw an average of two thirds of their prior weight loss returned. 

The most common side effects of weight loss include: 

• Constipation 

• Bloating, burping and wind 

• Indigestion, heartburn and reflux 

• Diarrhoea and loose stools 

• Nausea and sickness 

• Headache 

• Dry mouth or changes in taste 

• Feeling weak or tired 

The information provided in the side effects section is not a comprehensive list of all possible side effects associated with weight loss medication. For a complete list of side effects, please refer to the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) provided with your medication or consult your healthcare professional. 

If you experience any side effects, including those not listed, you are encouraged to report them via the Yellow Card Scheme or contact your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This information is intended as a summary for general awareness and does not replace professional medical advice. 

When prescribed and used correctly under medical supervision, GLP-1 injections are generally considered safe and effective for weight management. These medications have undergone rigorous clinical testing and are approved for use in the UK and many other countries. 

The safety of the medication depends on several factors, including having a consultation to ensure you're a suitable candidate, having the correct dosages with a dosage schedule, and regular monitoring by a clinician. This gives you professional guidance and support should you need it, such as managing side effects or issues with your medication. 

However, the popularity of GLP-1 medications has increased, which has coincided with the increase of illegal and falsified versions of the medicine. These may be falsely advertised online and on social media. Taking unauthorised GLP-1 medication can cause serious or unexpected side effects and may interact dangerously with any other medication you’re taking. 

GLP-1 injections are only available on prescription and should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Never buy them without a prescription or from unverified sources. 

These prescription-only medicines are used to treat people with type 2 diabetes but are also approved in the UK as an effective weight loss treatment under brand names like Wegovy and Mounjaro. 

You can take the maintenance dose agreed with your clinician for as long as it’s helping, as long as you’re not experiencing any side effects (or if any common side effects are being managed), and as long as it’s clinically safe. While using the medicine, it’s important that you keep in touch with your clinician or provider to stay on top of your progress or any issues you are having.   

If you experience an increase in weight, you should include this on your next consultation with a clinician for your repeat treatment so that they can review your dosage. If you feel like you want to come off the maintenance dose after a period of time, you can consult your clinician who will advise if it’s appropriate. If so, they can help you put together a plan to stop when you feel ready to try and maintain your new weight with lifestyle management (diet and exercise). 

If you wish to restart treatment, you can submit a consultation form at any time. Your clinician will review your full treatment history, including your initial BMI and current health status, to determine whether restarting medication is safe and appropriate. All prescriptions must align with current UK prescribing guidelines, which require a clinical need based on your present eligibility (e.g., BMI and health risks). Your clinician will ensure any decision prioritises your safety and long-term weight management goals.