Weight Loss Drug Prescriptions Cost

Please note this page will be updated once full data for the year 2025 is available for Scotland.

There is massive public interest in a new class of weight loss drugs (Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda) which have been shown in clinical trials to help patients to achieve from 12% to 22% loss of body weight when used for one year. These drugs are expensive to manufacture and one year’s supply in the UK costs the NHS approximately £1,000 per patient although some higher dose prescriptions may cost up to £2,500. Prescriptions via private clinics can easily cost the patient double this amount.

This website aims to track the cost to the NHS resulting from the uptake and use of weight loss drugs in Scotland and England. The data that is freely available relates to prescriptions made by GPs and community services. Prescriptions managed by hospital consultants is not included. This data and will be subject to regular updates to monitor the uptake of these drugs in Scotland and England.

Last Updated: Feb 2026 with data covering period up to Dec 2025 (England) and Nov 2025 (Scotland).

On this webpage

Table and graph showing increased use of weight loss drugs in Scotland
Table and Graph showing increased use of weight loss drugs in England

This section examines the expenditure of the NHS on weight loss drugs in Scotland, based on data from January 2024 to November 2025. The analysis focuses on the uptake and associated costs of four key medications: Mounjaro, Ozempic, Saxenda, and Wegovy.

Monthly Cost Trends and Growth in Scotland

The data reveals significant fluctuations and overall growth in monthly spending across the analysed weight loss drugs (see Table 1 and Figure 1).

Mounjaro: Initially, Mounjaro had minimal recorded costs. However, spending saw a dramatic increase from October 2024 onwards, culminating in an almost doubling of its monthly cost in September 2025. This sharp rise is attributed to a new reimbursement tariff agreed between Eli Lilly and Company Ltd and the NHS. Prior to this, costs had been steadily climbing, albeit from a very low base. These costs represent increased numbers of NHS patients prescribed weight loss drugs as part of a weight loss programme.

Ozempic: exhibits a more moderate but generally increasing cost trend throughout the period. While there are dips and rises month-to-month, the overall trajectory suggests a consistent and growing demand for this drug, with expenditures reaching their peak in the later months of 2025.

Saxenda: shows a generally downward trend in monthly costs, particularly from March 2024 to January 2025. After a slight recovery, the costs appear to stabilize at a lower level compared to its initial figures.

Wegovy: demonstrates a steady and significant increase in monthly costs from October 2024. While it started with relatively low expenditure, its costs have grown substantially, becoming a notable expenditure by the end of the data period.

Note: Wegovy is primarily managed through Specialist Weight Management Services (Tier 3), meaning patients usually require a referral from a GP, but the prescription is handled by secondary care (hospital) specialists. This may explain the disparity in the volume between Mounjaro and Wegovy prescriptions.

Year-on-Year Uptake and Cost Increases

Comparing the available periods, a clear year-on-year increase in both uptake and cost for several of these weight loss drugs is observable. Although the provided dataset spans just under two full years of monthly data, the trend from the first year (2024) to the second year (2025) highlights a substantial growth in the overall financial commitment of the NHS to these treatments.

Specifically, Mounjaro and Wegovy show the most pronounced year-on-year growth in expenditure. While Ozempic also sees an increase, its growth is more controlled relative to the dramatic rise seen in Mounjaro (particularly post-tariff change) and Wegovy. Saxenda, on the other hand, appears to have a more contained or even declining year-on-year cost trend within this observation window, though its initial uptake was not insignificant.

Table 1: Cost of Prescriptions of GLP-1 Agonists (£)
in Scotland during the period January 2024 to November 2025
a table depicting scotland weight loss drug web

Figure 1: Cost of Prescriptions of GLP-1 Agonists (£)
during the period January 2024 to November 2025
<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block;<br /> width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;”

England: Weight Loss Drug Prescriptions

Obesity in England
There are an estimated 37.8M adults in England between the ages of 18 to 69 (inclusive) and, according to the Health Survey For England 2022, approximately 29% of these adults are obese. This means that some 11M adults are clinically obese and thus will meet the criteria for treatment with GLP-1 agonists.

Number of NHS Patients on Weight-Loss Drug Prescriptions in England

Using the assumptions outlined (above) for Scottish data it is estimated that there are currently 420,069 patients receiving GLP-1 agonists treatment for weight-loss, which represents 3.82% of the 11M obese adults in England.

Total Cost of Weight-Loss Drug Prescriptions in England

Total cost of weight loss prescriptions in England during April 2025 was £17,315,181. Spend per million adult population in England was £458,073.

Monthly Cost Trends and Growth

Monthly cost trends reveal distinct patterns for each drug (see Table 2 and Figure 2):

Mounjaro:Mounjaro demonstrates the most striking growth trajectory of all these drugs, beginning at £0 in January 2024 before ramping up steadily throughout 2024 and into mid-2025. The data also shows the September 2025 price adjustment: costs jumped from £15.1 million in August 2025 to £45.1 million in September 2025, a 198% spike within a single month. This aligns with Eli Lilly’s announced 170% price increase effective September 1, 2025. Post-September, costs remained elevated at £41-47 million monthly through year-end 2025, representing a roughly threefold increase from pre-adjustment levels.

Year-on-year comparison shows extraordinary growth: January 2024 had zero Mounjaro costs, in January 2025 it reached £11.3 million and by December 2025 it reached £46.6 million demonstrating both rapid market penetration and the impact of the reimbursement tariff adjustment.

Ozempic: In the UK it is not licensed for weight loss but may be being prescribed off-label by some private clinics before Mounjaro and Wegovy became available. Ozempic maintained relatively consistent monthly costs throughout the entire period, fluctuating between approximately £3.1-4.7 million per month. There is no discernible upward or downward trend, suggesting stable prescribing volumes and pricing. Year-on-year costs (January 2024 vs. January 2025) showed minimal change: £4.66 million versus £3.55 million.

Wegovy: showed gradual but modest growth, increasing from £20,220 in January 2024 to £90,664 in December 2025 (a 348% increase). However, unlike Mounjaro, this growth was steady and predictable rather than dramatic. Monthly costs ranged from £69,000-92,000 by late 2025.

Saxenda: Saxenda consistently maintained the lowest expenditure among the four drugs. Its monthly cost decreased from £26,899 in January 2024 to £7,750 in April 2025. This downward trend suggests a diminishing role or a more niche application for Saxenda in the NHS’s weight loss drug portfolio, possibly due to the emergence of more effective or preferred alternatives.

Table 2: Cost of Prescriptions of GLP-1 Agonists (£)
in England during the period January 2024 to December 2026

a table depicting england weight loss drug web

Figure 2: Cost of Prescriptions of GLP-1 Agonists (£)
during the period January 2024 to December 2026
<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block;<br /> width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;”

Background to Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda as Weight Loss Drugs

These drugs ( known as GLP-1 receptor agonists) were initially introduction of for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) mimic the action of the natural hormone by GLP-1 by activating the GLP-1 receptor resulting in increases insulin secretion which helps to reduce blood sugar levels and to slow gastric emptying. GLP-1RAs also act on receptors in the brain to reduce the sensation of hunger. Thus in addition to their ability to control blood sugar levels, their ability to reduce appetite has led to their use as a weight loss treatment. GLP-1 receptor agonists are most often provided as solutions for subcutaneous injection and are available in pre-filled pens.

Prior to their formal adoption as weight loss treatments by regulatory authorities they have become increasingly used by non-diabetics as an appetite suppressant to help with weight loss. Indeed there has been GLP-1RAs supply shortages in 2023 and 2024 possibly as a result of their use as a diet aid.

For further details on how these drugs work and their history please see A Guide to New Weight Loss Drugs on this website

Prescription Only
There are a number of GLP-1RAs available for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and three licensed in the UK for weight loss therapy.

• Wegovy
• Mounjaro
• Saxenda

They are licensed in the UK to treat obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²) or overweight patients with weight-related conditions (BMI > 27 kg/m²).

Sources

Scottish Prescribing Data
https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/prescriptions-in-the-community

English Prescribing Data
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/english-prescribing-data-epd

Obesity Data
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2023-volume-1-main-report/pages/15/

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2022-part-2/adult-overweight-and-obesity#overweight-obesity-and-health