The drug has soared in popularity since it was approved for use
Thousands of people use Mounjaro across the UK(Image: Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)
Thousands of prescriptions for an antidiabetic drug which is also a popular treatment for weight-loss have been issued in Bristol in the space of a few months. Nearly 6,000 prescriptions for Mounjaro were issued by the Integrated Care Board of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire between January and May this year.
In comparison, just under 8,000 prescriptions were issued in the area in the whole of 2024. However, the Bristol area is among those in the country to have issued fewer of these prescriptions.
A total of 79 areas elsewhere had higher rates than Bristol, compared to 26 with a lower rate. Looking at the data for May, there were a total of 1,367 NHS prescriptions for Mounjaro, which works out as 1.8 prescriptions per hour on average.
It’s also the equivalent of 115 per 10,000 people living in the area.
The latest national figures show the NHS is handing out Mounjaro jabs at the rate of nearly 200 every hour as prescriptions have rocketed in the last 12 months. The drug has soared in popularity since it was approved for use in England.
Prescriptions for Mounjaro rose from 18,501 in May 2024 to over 147,000 in May this year, the latest month for which figures are available. That is equivalent to over 197 jabs per hour.
In just twelve months, the number of NHS Mounjaro prescriptions has overtaken total NHS prescriptions for key drugs like Tamoxifen, which can slash the risk of breast cancer in women.
Mounjaro isn’t the only diabetes drug that some use for weight loss which has seen an increase in its use. The drug Ozempic is also a type-2 diabetes treatment that some people use for the treatment of weight-loss, despite the fact that it is not marketed for that purpose.
In June of 2020 there were a total of 16,131 NHS prescriptions for the drug and that figure has grown in the last four years, peaking at 68,057 by March 2023. The number of NHS prescriptions for Ozempic has plateaued in the last year, suggesting its popularity has waned with the rise of Mounjaro.
Prescriptions for Mounjaro are expected to continue to rise sharply. From June this year thousands more patients were given access to the drug via their GP for the first time. Previously patients could only be prescribed Mounjaro through a special weight loss service.
Current NHS guidelines state that patients must have a body mass index of 40 or more plus four or more weight-related health issues – such as diabetes and high blood pressure – before they are eligible for the drug.
The threshold will be lowered from next April to apply to people with a BMI of 35 or more.
Our exclusive analysis also shows that parts of the country are prescribing the drug more than others.
In North Lincolnshire, the rate of prescriptions is three times higher than the average for the country as a whole. The NHS region covering North Lincolnshire has issued 9,239 Mounjaro prescriptions up to and including May 2025. It works out at 543 for every 10,000 people currently living there, which is the highest rate in the country.
North East Lincolnshire has the next highest rate at 523 per 10,000 people. That’s followed by East Leicestershire and Rutland at 497 per 10,000, Wakefield with 491 and County Durham with 461 per 10,000.
You can see how many Mounjaro prescriptions have been issued in your local area using our interactive map and inputting your postcode.
Top 20 highest rates of Mounjaro prescriptions per 10,000 people
NHS North Lincolnshire: 543
NHS North East Lincolnshire: 523
NHS East Leicestershire And Rutland: 497
NHS Wakefield: 491
NHS County Durham: 461
NHS West Leicestershire: 421
NHS Castle Point And Rochford: 400
NHS Bath And North East Somerset, Swindon And Wiltshire: 397
NHS Leicester City: 389
NHS North Yorkshire: 375
NHS Blackpool: 370
NHS Portsmouth: 364
NHS East Riding Of Yorkshire: 353
NHS Birmingham And Solihull: 344
NHS Doncaster: 326
NHS Lincolnshire: 324
NHS Southend: 319
NHS Warrington: 318
NHS Black Country: 318
NHS North East Essex: 310