Tirzepatide: The new ‘wonder drug’

In recent months, GPs have been receiving a large number of letters from private providers advising that patients have completed a weight loss consultation and been initiated on tirzepatide (more commonly known as Mounjaro™). Weight loss drugs have become very popular with the public in tandem with media reporting and use by celebrities, including the most recent drug to be discussed, tirzepatide. Weight loss medication is now one of the most popular private prescriptions to be issued. Patients can easily access these medications via online pharmacies, but most GPs have not received any formal training in the prescribing and monitoring of patients. Despite this, when patients develop complications, GPs are expected to manage them. It is important that we update our knowledge on this latest ‘wonder drug’. In this article, we will discuss use of tirzepatide, and some associated ethical issues. Though this article focuses on tirzepatide, other weight loss drugs available in the private sector raise similar issues, including, for example, semaglutide.