How Weight Loss Programs Work

Weight Loss Programs is a private prescribing service which is designed for adults aged 18 years and over, who are experiencing health issues and who would like to receive a fast-track assessment and, if applicable, a Weight Loss treatment from a qualified weight loss clinician. Treatments are dispensed and delivered to your home or workplace from our regulated online pharmacy.

Yes. Our formulary of medications prescribed and conditions treated are controlled, governed, and continuously risk-assessed by our Medical Director, Dr Ihtesham Sabri.

Unlike other prescribing services, which operate under asynchronous methods like questionnaires, our service is conducted through the safer method of remote video consultations, also known as synchronous consultations. This builds patient safety and prescribing appropriateness into our service, ensuring our prescribing clinicians can be satisfied with who and what they are treating.

There is no guarantee of supply of medications, and any prescriptions supplied are at the sole discretion of our clinician prescriber. There is no charge for the consultation.

Our weight-loss prescribing clinicians are board-certified pharmacists, nurses, or doctors who can also prescribe weight loss medications, subject to accepted accreditation and good clinical practice. They are all registered with their respective regulatory bodies. For example, a pharmacist independent prescriber in England is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Each weight-loss prescribing clinician undergoes an extensive background check including a disclosure and barring service check (DBS). In addition, they undergo a rigorous license verification process. When you book an appointment with our prescribing clinicians you will see their full name, license number, and any specialized credentials they have.

Yes, the Weight Loss Programs service is available worldwide.

Yes. This is a private service. You do not need to pay for the consultation. You only pay for the cost of the medication you are prescribed.

There are two ways to find out if you are eligible for treatment under Weight Loss Programs. If you have completed your full Health Profile, we can automatically check your eligibility for treatment. If you qualify, we will send you a notification inviting you to attend a weight loss consultation.

Alternatively, if you did not complete your Health Profile on sign-up, then you can check eligibility by selecting the ‘Check Eligibility’ option on the Weight Loss Programs Service Card.

If you qualify, you will be able to complete a booking by selecting the ‘Book Consultation’ button.

How to book a consultation

Weight Loss Programs require a virtual consultation with an attending clinician.

During the booking process, you can select:

• A convenient date and time
• The preferred language spoken by your attending clinician
• The gender of your attending clinician

Booking slots are available up to 7 days in advance. You’ll see a list of all available expert clinicians trained to provide your chosen service.

Once you confirm your booking, you’ll see:

• A summary of your appointment
• Preliminary information about the consultation

You’ll also receive an email confirming your booking with information on what to expect. You should read this carefully.

To ensure you receive the best possible care, all patients must complete or update their health profile before booking a consultation. This important step helps us provide safe, personalised, and effective healthcare tailored to your unique needs.

Your complete medical history helps your attending clinician identify potential drug interactions, allergies, and contraindications before making recommendations. This protects you from adverse reactions and ensures all advice or treatments prescribed are appropriate for your specific health situation.

Depending on the service you’re booking, our clinicians may require:

• Current medications and supplements
• Known allergies and adverse reactions
• Existing medical conditions
• Previous surgeries or hospitalizations
• Family medical history (where relevant)
• Current symptoms or health concerns
• Blood pressure readings (can be done through our in-app medical reading process if required for the consultation)
• Height and weight (to calculate your BMI)

For certain medications or conditions, your attending clinician may require your most up-to-date blood pressure reading to ensure prescribing is both suitable and safe for you.

The NowPatient app uses an innovative approach to measuring blood pressure using your smartphone camera held in front of your face. It’s the world’s only blood pressure check without a cuff or wearable. It is classed as a Medical Device and conforms to EU CE and UKCA Class I Medical Device standards. CE Class IIa conformity is expected in 2025.

You will need a recent iOS or Android smartphone with a front-facing camera. Unfortunately, It is not available for use on desktop devices.

When you make your appointment, we reserve a time for you to see a clinician. If you need to cancel, please do so at least 24 hours in advance.

To cancel:

1. Navigate to the consultations section of your account
2. Select “Upcoming Consultations”
3. Choose the consultation you wish to cancel
4. Select the “Cancel” button
5. Confirm the cancellation

NowPatient uses sophisticated booking architecture to ensure clinical resources remain productive. We have a threshold of two missed appointments before we temporarily revoke your booking rights. You’ll be notified after each missed booking.

If you believe this is incorrect or had genuine reasons for missing appointments, you can raise a ticket with our support desk.

You’ll receive reminders 30 minutes before your virtual consultation via:

• Push notification
• SMS notification
• In-app notification
• Email

Before your virtual appointment:

• Ensure NowPatient has access to your device’s microphone and camera
• Bring your ID. The attending clinician will ask to see it to ensure they’re treating the right person. This is required for your safety

Yes, you can bring a carer, friend, or family member if they’re in the same location as you. Let your attending clinician know at the start of your appointment. You may be asked about their relationship to you.

At the start of your appointment, your clinician will introduce themselves and confirm your identity. We’ll remind you that:

• You’re completing this consultation for yourself and to the best of your knowledge
• You must disclose any medical conditions, serious illnesses, or operations you’ve had
• You must disclose any prescription medications you’re currently taking
• You must provide accurate and honest responses. Withholding or providing false information can severely harm your health and may result in life-threatening consequences
• You confirm that your responses are truthful and accurate, acknowledging the potential risks of misinformation

Once the formalities are completed, your clinician will conduct the consultation relating to your chosen service.

After the consultation has concluded, you will receive a post-consultation notification summarising:

• The outcome of your appointment
• Any referrals made to your doctor
• Any advice given by your clinician

Your family doctor is responsible for your overall care. Our clinicians will communicate with your doctor if they have concerns or recommendations that could affect your care. Referrals are only made with your explicit consent or if they form part of the terms of service you consented to.

If a referral letter was issued, you can view a copy in the “Documents” section of your account. If you were prescribed a treatment, it will be available in your “Cart.”

From your Cart, you can:

1. Select the treatment
2. Checkout and make payment
3. Have your order sent to our regulated online pharmacy for processing

NowPatient has specific safeguards and protocols in place to ensure our service is safe, secure, and effective. Our video technology platform is certified to the highest industry standards of data security and clinical governance.

Yes. We follow strict General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and are HIPAA compliant, which means we can handle Personal Health Information (PHI) securely. Legal requirements ensure your personal data is managed with the utmost confidentiality.

Records are maintained of all processing, and breaches are reported if they occur.

We not only meet UK and US standards for data security, we exceed them. We demonstrate this through regular internal and external audits.

Our externally audited accreditations include:

• ISO27001
• DTAC
• DSPT
• Cyber Essentials+

These demonstrate our compliance with global security standards.

NowPatient’s commitment to data residency is a key priority. We only house data in validated data centers:

• UK-based data remains solely in the UK
• US data is governed by HIPAA-prescribed data security protocols

The data centers we use align with the highest standards of security and privacy, demonstrated through regular external audits to safeguard against contemporary threats.

We operate a safe prescribing service. This means that our prescribing clinicians always exercise their clinical judgment when prescribing. Unfortunately, we do not operate a self select service where you can choose a medication and simply buy. If the clinician that sees you does not prescribe anything, then you will not be charged.

Yes. When your treatment is approved, and after you have checked out and paid for your order, we will keep you fully updated with the status of your order. Every time the status of your order changes, you will be notified immediately. These notifications will appear in the ‘Notifications’ section on the account homepage and within the notifications page, which can be accessed by clicking the ‘bell’ icon.

All orders are shipped in discreet and unmarked packaging. This means it is suitable for delivery wherever you require (home, work, or a neighbour).

For thermo-sensitive orders (e.g. Insulin or weight loss injections) we use cold chain-validated packaging. Your parcel will normally receive an estimated delivery window from the courier on the day of delivery.

For your protection and safety, your first order can only be delivered to the address that is registered with NowPatient. Future orders can be delivered to any other address, for example, your workplace.

Yes. We use a specialist courier service for all thermo-sensitive deliveries. This is to ensure that cold chain integrity is always maintained and thus the product quality, safety and efficacy.

Learn more about how we handle the delivery of temperature sensitive products.

We currently deliver to all postcodes/zipcodes worldwide. Some postcodes in rural areas may have a slightly longer delivery time.

We aim to ship all orders placed Monday – Friday before 3pm on the same day. Orders placed outside these times will be shipped the next working day. All deliveries are shipped by Royal Mail, which delivers Monday through Saturday in the UK. For deliveries outside of the UK, please check with your national postal service for accurate delivery days.

Our delivery options have the following delivery times:

• UK – Royal Mail Tracked 24 & Signed for Delivery – Next day delivery
• Europe – Royal Mail Tracked – Typical delivery of 3-5 working days
• Worldwide – Royal Mail – Typical delivery of 5-7 working days. If a tracked option is available for your country via Royal Mail, this service will be applied.

Delivery is normally made promptly after your dispatch notification is received. You can check the tracking details of your order in the ‘Notifications’ section on the account homepage and within the notifications page, which can be accessed by clicking the ‘bell’ icon, at any point after dispatch.

Unfortunately, packages can sometimes get lost in the delivery system. If after 10 days you have not received your delivery, please contact us and we will do all we can to resolve the problem.

14 days after you have received your first monthly supply, we will send you a notification to advise you that you are eligible to reorder your medication. To ensure that we are able to safely prescribe the next supply, you will need to rebook a consultation every 3 months.

This ensures that our clinician can check in on your treatment plan and ensure it is working as intended and continues to be safe, suitable and appropriate for you.

We make reordering simple and safe. Here’s what to expect:

Monthly Check-Ins

Each month, you’ll complete a quick online assessment so our clinicians can monitor your progress and ensure your treatment is working effectively. Once approved, your medication will be ready to checkout from your Cart.

Quarterly Consultations

Every 3 months, we require a follow-up video consultation with a NowPatient clinician as part of your ongoing care. When it’s time for your consultation, we’ll send you a notification reminder. Simply go to ‘Manage Treatments’ in your Weight Loss Programs Service Card to book a convenient appointment time.

What Happens Next?

During your consultation, your clinician will review your progress and may recommend one of the following:

• Continue at your current dose
• Adjust your dose for better results
• Complete your treatment program

If your clinician approves continued treatment, your medication will be added to your cart for checkout and delivered according to our standard delivery timeframes.

Your Safety is Our Priority

As a responsible prescribing service, we continuously monitor your treatment plan to ensure it remains safe, effective, and right for you at every stage of your weight loss journey.

We are here to help you every step of the way through your Weight Loss journey.

We do this by providing you with advice and support covering exercise and diet, as well as discussing any concerns you have about your prescribed treatment.

In fact, Weight Loss treatments like injections, require exercise and dietary advice to help reach your Weight Loss goals. Each instalment treatment requires a follow-up, this allows us the opportunity to discuss your progress when renewing your prescription.

You can even use the Weight Loss Graph located in the Performance Trackers section of the account homepage. This allows you to track your weight so you can visualise the rate of progress.  If treatment works as intended, then you will also see the change reflected into a lower BMI Risk indicator, which can be located in the Personalised Insights of the account homepage.

If you are ordering weight loss tablets, your order will contain your prescription of weight loss tablets only.

If you are ordering weight loss injections, your order will contain:

• Your prescription of pre-filled weight loss injection pens
• Needles
• Sharps bin for safe disposal of needles (if ordered as part of the bundle)

For Weight Loss medication that is injectable such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, each pen contains 4 doses. You should take one dose a week and therefore each pen will last 4 weeks.

Each month you should increase your dose until reaching the maximum maintenance dose.

For Weight Loss medication that is injectable such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, the manufacturer advises storing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

For Wegovy, if needed, your current in-use pen can be kept outside of the refrigerator (below 30°C) with the pen cap still on for up to 6 weeks.

For Mounjaro, if needed, your current in-use pen can be kept outside of the refrigerator (below 30°C) with the pen cap still on for up to 30 days.

In the rare case that your order is delivered late please refrigerate your order and contact our Support Team as soon as possible.

It is likely your pen may still be suitable to use and our Support Team can advise you further on this.

We need photos of your most recent weight readings and a completed treatment feedback survey as evidence of your weight loss journey and to make sure your treatment is safe and suitable for you.

It is essential that all images you provide are accurate and unedited. Medications used for weight loss have the potential to cause serious illness and severe side effects if used inappropriately, and our doctors will not be able to assess your health risks if false or inaccurate information is provided.

Weight loss medication is safe for use, but only when you meet the right requirements.

Protecting your privacy

We understand that uploading photos can be a very personal experience, and your privacy is always important to us. We follow a strict security & confidentiality process for any personal images shared with us, and they will only be viewed by your prescribing clinician.

We can not provide treatment if you can not submit photos or provide treatment feedback using the survey form. We do this to ensure treatment is safe and suitable for you. Using weight loss medication incorrectly can have dangerous side effects, and we want to guarantee we are prescribing safely and appropriately for our patients.

You will need to upload photos & complete the treatment feedback survey:

• Every month, when requesting a new supply
• On your annual review

You can dispose of your sharps bin for free by contacting your local council and arranging a pickup.

If you forget to take your Mounjaro or Wegovy injection:

If it’s been 4 days or less: Take the injection as soon as you remember. Then, take your next dose on your regular schedule.

If it’s been more than 4 days and less than a full week: Skip the missed dose. Just wait and take your next dose on your regular day.

Otherwise, if it’s been more than a full week: you may need to restart treatment at the lowest dose. See the doctor’s advice available in your patient account specific to your treatment.

This way, you stay on track with your treatment plan.

Yes, you can order more of your weight loss injections in advance. This can help ensure you have a continuous supply without interruptions in your treatment. This is at the discretion of the prescribing clinician.

If you mistakenly took an extra dose, you may experience more intense side effects, but these will settle over time. If the side effects are troublesome, delay your next dose by a few days. However, if the side effects are severe or not resolving, speak to a healthcare professional. It’s essential to read the user manual and instruction leaflet carefully and only inject the dose instructed.

If you lose or miss a dose of your Mounjaro or Wegovy injection, you have two options:

Option 1: Ideally, you should use each dose for at least 4 weeks before moving to the next one. We recommend getting the same dose again and continuing with another pen for another 4 weeks. There’s no harm in staying on a lower dose longer than 4 weeks. Many people do this to allow any side effects to settle.

Option 2: If you don’t want to stay on the same dose and have not had any side effects, you can consider moving up to the next dose after your 3 doses are finished. However, this is not the recommended use of the pen and may cause more side effects at the higher dose.

If you lose or misuse more than one dose, you should order another pen of the same dose to continue for at least 4 weeks in total. We do not recommend moving up to the next dose if you’ve had fewer than 3 doses at your current level.

It depends on the person. Some people see results within a few weeks, while others might need a few months.

You might start feeling fuller after a few doses, but it can take time for the medication to fully work in your body. If you don’t see any changes after a few months, you can talk to your doctor about other options.

You may notice that you suddenly stop losing weight after a period of weight loss. This is called a weight loss plateau, and it’s a natural part of the process.

When you increase your dose, you also might notice that it doesn’t work as well as before. This is normal, as your body gets used to the new dose. At first, you might also lose water weight instead of fat, which is why your weight may stabilise.

If you keep taking your medication as directed, eat healthy and exercise regularly, you should continue losing weight after your plateau.