Please note the Weight Management Service is not able to accept referrals for anti-obesity medications at this time. We apologise this is taking so long but please be reassured NHS Lothian are working hard to bring these medicines to patients.
NHS Lothian have a short life working group currently developing the pathway and once agreed we can start a phased roll out.
We are aware of recent news of the roll out of weight loss medication prescribing in GP practices. Please note this applies to NHS England only. For updates on the roll out of these medications in NHS Scotland please refer to the information below.
Three medicines are approved for use in NHS Scotland for managing weight in the treatment of obesity:
Liraglutide (Saxenda®)
Semaglutide (Wegovy®)
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®)
In February 2025, these medicines were added to the East Region Formulary for the prescription in NHS Lothian.
The Scottish Government has issued a consensus statement advising the NHS in Scotland to consider a phased implementation of the medicines:
https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/dcconsensus-statement.pdf
NHS Lothian is considering a phased roll out of these medicines for weight management in line with Scottish Government guidance. We are actively developing clinical pathways to ensure safe prescribing and monitoring. Updates will be shared once these clinical pathways have been agreed in NHS Lothian.
Until these pathways are in place, the Weight Management service is unable to accept referrals for the initiation of these medicines.
Recent Headlines
We have had a number of enquiries regarding the recent news that those accessing Mounjaro®/tirzepatide through private prescribers might observe a significant price increase from September 2025. We would recommend you contact your private prescriber in the first instance to discuss your options as we cannot advise on your private prescription.
Things you may wish to discuss with your private prescriber:
· Confirm how much their prices will be changing. Some private prescribers have published that they are going to do their best to keep prices fair and accessible for their patients.
· Consider staying at a lower dose of Mounjaro® if this is still working for you. Prices usually increase as the dose increases.
· If you are looking to switch to an alternative anti-obesity medication (e.g. Wegovy®/semaglutide), please discuss this with your private prescriber as this requires
medical supervision to transition to a different medication and adjust the dose appropriately.
Please note if you switch to an alternative anti-obesity medication you may need to start at a lower dose than expected to build tolerance. During this transition period you may experience fluctuations in hunger/appetite and different side effects – please see our leaflet below for advice on how to manage these.
Advice leaflet
If you are taking these medications privately please find some helpful information on diet and how to manage side effects in this leaflet.
Please see updated safety advice about this medicines on the webpage below.
GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know – GOV.UK
Weight Management Advice.
If you wish to consider lifestyle advice in the meantime you can find more information about our other programmes and referral forms on our web page:-
Adult Weight Management and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Team
Woodlands House, Astley Ainslie Hospital, 74 Canaan Lane, Edinburgh, EH9 2TB
E-mail: loth.weightmanagement@nhs.scot
Telephone: 0131 537 9169
