As demand for GLP-1 weight loss injections skyrockets, community pharmacies across England are launching private services to meet it, but with calls for tighter regulation, concerns around long-term outcomes, and speculation about NHS rollout, what does the future hold for pharmacy-led obesity care? By Saša Janković

So-called ‘skinny jabs’ are never far from the public consciousness thanks to celebrities publicly discussing their use of weight loss injections. However, more recent news-worthy mentions are of a riskier tone, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warning women taking GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes to use effective contraception, saying ‘there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby’.

This warning has, again, thrown the spotlight onto the supply – both legitimate and authorised – of these life, and body changing drugs. ‘Community pharmacies have been experiencing unprecedented levels of interest for weight loss injections’, says Jasmine Shah, Medication Safety Officer at the National Pharmacy Association, ‘so it is important that regulations and guidance keep pace with this demand and that patient safety is put at the heart of everything we do.’

Indeed, demand for medicated weight-loss treatments have soared over recent months, reaching an estimated 1.5 million users in the UK in March 2025, according to data shared by market intelligence company IQVIA, with the UK weight management market seeing an average monthly volume growth of 24.6% since October 2024.

The current weight loss injection landscape in the UK centres around three main treatments available both on the NHS and privately. Wegovy (semaglutide) from Novo Nordisk, Saxenda (liraglutide) also from Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) from Eli Lilly are approved for NHS use, with research indicating that Mounjaro leads to the most significant weight loss of the three options. Tirzepatide, the newest addition from Eli Lilly, received NICE approval for NHS use and began rolling out through specialist weight management services in spring 2025, with broader availability expected from summer 2025.

Weight loss jabs in community pharmacy

Patients currently have to meet different eligibility criteria for access to weight loss injections between NHS and private services. The NHS strictly follows NICE criteria (BMI ≥35 or Tier 3 referral) and this service is limited but free for patients, whereas private services through community pharmacy and online clinics can be accessed with a lower BMI.

Related Article: Interview: Martin Fidock on digital weight loss services and where community pharmacy fits in

Due to growing demand, many community pharmacies have set up private weight loss services supplying GLP-1 based injection (Saxenda and Wegovy) through Patient Group Directives (PGD) or private prescriptions, but costs can vary greatly, driving heath inequalities and even drug shortages.

The private service is typically provided through online or face-to-face consultations with a pharmacist or prescribing pharmacist/clinician, with weight loss medications prescribed once the required BMI, comorbidities, and suitability have been confirmed. The patient is counselled on prescribed medication and trained on how to use the injection device along with advice on possible side effects. They should also be offered ongoing support either digitally or in person to monitor weight loss, provide nutrition and exercise advice, and dose adjustment.

 Graham Thoms is chief executive of PGD supplier PharmaDoctor, which works with a network of private weight management clinics across 1,200 pharmacies nationwide. Thoms says demand for the service started growing in February 2024 when Mounjaro launched in the UK and has continued to grow exponentially (on average 33% growth month-on-month for the last 14 months).  

Weight loss market players

Beyond community pharmacies, there are several key categories of private weight loss injection services available in England.

Major retail chains have expanded into online healthcare, with Superdrug Online Doctor, Asda Online Doctor, LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, and Boots Online Doctor all offering weight loss injection prescriptions. These services typically involve completing online medical questionnaires, doctor assessments, and home delivery or collection options.

Dedicated weight loss clinics operate online services with UK-registered prescribers focusing on weight management treatments, or offer doctor-led weight loss treatments in dedicated clinic settings, providing more comprehensive medical oversight.

Major private healthcare companies such as Bupa also offer weight management plans that can be booked online or by phone, incorporating weight loss injections as part of broader programs with coaching support.

Then there are regional private clinics operating weight loss clinics from physical locations, while private GP practices offer injectable weight loss programs alongside their general medical services. There are also hybrid clinic-pharmacy models which combine prescribing services with pharmacy fulfilment from registered premises.

NHS pharmacy expansion

‘For those who are willing to pay for weight loss treatment it’s an investment in their health’, says Sarah Passmore, superintendent pharmacist at the Pharmacy+Health chain, ‘so it’s clear the benefits would be great if this same service by community pharmacy was delivered on behalf of the NHS too’ – an expansion that may be on the horizon.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has already told The Pharmacist it is ‘open to discussing’ how weight-loss injections could be delivered through community pharmacies on the NHS, following rumoured plans reported in the national media, although Alastair Buxton, CPE director of NHS services, acknowledged that ‘any new service would need to be carefully considered given the community pharmacy sector’s current capacity and tight finances’.

Pharmacy bodies have welcomed the suggestion. Olivier Picard, National Pharmacy Association chair, said that delivering weight loss injections in community pharmacies ‘has the potential to make sure that people who need these treatments the most could access them for free’, and Company Chemists Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison said offering a weight loss service through community pharmacy ‘could help to significantly reduce levels of obesity nationwide’.

Related Article: Women on weight-loss jabs must use ‘effective contraception’, urges MHRA

However, others have expressed some concerns. Thoms says: ‘We don’t believe delivering an NHS weight management service using online pharmacies is clinically robust or appropriate’, and Professor Claire Anderson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president, stresses: ‘Any new service must come with funding and training for pharmacy teams to ensure it is safe, effective and sustainable.’

Further risks

Despite the well-documented success rates of the jabs, there are also longer-term risks to consider.

‘When patients stop their weight loss injections, there is a risk of regaining weight if lifestyle changes have not been made and maintained’, warns Numark patient services manager Lucy Morris.

‘This is because GLP-1 agonists work by reducing appetite, slowing down gastric emptying, and enhancing satiety’, explains John Bell and Croyden pharmacist Reshma Malde. ‘When patients come off weight loss jabs this effect stop quickly and there is a significant risk of two-thirds or more patients regaining lost weight within 12 months if sustainable diet, lifestyle and behaviour changes have not been implemented whilst on the programme.’

Alfie Slade, government affairs lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, says his organisation is ‘very concerned by the disproportionate and often overly simplistic media coverage of weight loss drugs, especially as the big thing that has been missing from all of those conversations is wraparound support for patients, and that causes issues for the long term when people do eventually cycle off the drugs.’

Slade says that although ‘community pharmacy has a significant role to play in increasing access and reducing the cost of delivery of obesity treatments to those they are medically appropriate for’, another problem that is not being talked about is that ‘almost 100% of people will regain almost 100% of the weight they lose via weight loss drugs, unless they are on them for life. An appetite suppressant doesn't make fat cells magically disappear with no effort, so you need extra support to make lifestyle and behavioural changes that will really come into play once you stop taking it.’

There is also the risk of counterfeit supplies. Mark Burdon, from Burdon Pharmacy Group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne says: ‘People have come in and produced a vial of some sort of substance that they bought on the internet from an unregulated supplier who has told them all they need to do is go to the pharmacy to get the needles. You have to really disappoint them by saying not only can we not do that for you, but also this is counterfeit.’

Related Article: Ten tips for providing effective diabetes reviews

Future developments

If community pharmacies are going to have wider involvement in supplying weight loss jabs, the solution, says Burdon, is ‘to adopt a proper risk assessment, going through proper processes to be part of a multidisciplinary style approach with properly staffed wraparound care, rather than just going it alone.’

Lucy Morris agrees, saying: ‘The future would see community pharmacies becoming an integral part of a wider NHS weight management strategy’, and Reshma Malde says her ‘vision’ would be one of ‘holistic care where pharmacists and GPs work together to offer a seamless weight management service.’

Passmore, too, sees the future taking an MDT approach. ‘For years the issue of obesity has been surrounded by shame for people who struggle to manage their weight, but it shouldn’t be’, she says. ‘What I would like to see is shared care across multidisciplinary teams, including community pharmacies – both privately and hopefully in the future for the NHS too.’