'Mounjaro has been life-changing for me; I’m terrified of the price hike'

Dara Howie, a student nurse from Irvine, Scotland, told LBC that she is “terrified” of the rising cost of the injections, after prices increased on September 1.

Ms Howie explained how she felt “incredibly unhappy” with herself after gaining eight stone over period of years.

“I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my life — even as a child I was always overweight, which was difficult.

"When I first heard about Mounjaro and started reading success stories, I felt I had nothing to lose by trying it.”

She said she had tried everything, including exercise and healthy eating, but nothing worked. She then decided she would “give it a bash”.

Her journey with Mounjaro began back in October 2024 with 2.5mg.

In the beginning she spent around £80 on the jab from a private pharmacy.

“I stayed on the 2.5mg dose for several months and was amazed by the results, losing around three to four stone. She recounted that even that initial weight loss made a huge difference — not just physically, but mentally.

“I felt more positive, motivated, and confident enough to go out, see friends, and enjoy life again.”

‘Life-changing’

Over time, she increased her dose and is now on 10mg.

“To date, I’ve lost seven stone, and it’s genuinely been life-changing.

“Simple things, like being able to walk into a shop and buy clothes I actually want, feel incredible.”

But since the price hike at the start of this month, she said she feels “scared”.

“How am I going to afford it? I’m terrified,” she said, adding that she works full time and can’t manage two jobs.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said, describing the increase as “unmanageable”.

‘Frustrated and disappointed’

“As a student nurse who also runs a small aesthetics clinic, I simply can’t afford to pay over £200 a month.

Her only option, she said, is to switch to Wegovy, an alternative and cheaper weight-loss drug.

“I feel frustrated and disappointed by the price increases — especially knowing the company made billions in profit last year.

“It feels unfair and driven by greed.

"I worry deeply about the impact this will have on people who desperately need this medication but can’t afford it."

Despite the challenges, Ms Howie said she would never turn to black-market alternatives.

Health professionals have warned against buying unlicensed weight loss drugs online which have been known to contain potentially toxic ingredients.

Ms Howie said she would never take the weight loss drug if it wasn’t from a proper pharmacy, adding she finds the products on the black market “terrifying”.

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“You just don’t know what’s in it. It’s scary what it can do to you," the student nurse said.

However, she added she doesn’t blame people who do so.

“You can’t blame them”, she admitted. “People are desperate to lose weight.”

You can follow Dara’s weight loss journey on TikTok here.

The UK price rise means some doses of Mounjaro now cost more than £300 a month privately, though NHS prescriptions remain unaffected.

Experts have advised patients to check if they’re eligible for NHS access, ask trusted pharmacies about rebate schemes, or consider alternatives such as Wegovy or Ozempic.

Health professionals have also warned against buying from unlicensed sellers, as counterfeit injectables have been linked to dangerous ingredients that can cause serious harm.