How to get Mounjaro online

The weight loss industry is full of myths. One common myth? Everyone loses weight from eating healthy and working out more often. The truth is sometimes you need an extra boost. Sometimes, that extra boost can be found via an off-label prescription of Mounjaro (tirzepatide). But figuring out how to get Mounjaro for weight loss can be confusing. 

Ahead, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about getting a Mounjaro prescription for weight loss, including online and in-person options, insurance basics, and potential costs.

You can’t just walk into a pharmacy and ask for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) without a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider—and this applies if you’re buying Mounjaro online, too. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s do a quick refresher of the basics. Mounrjaro is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise. That said, it’s sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss. 

Mounjaro is a dual glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonist medication. This means it works by mimicking two hormones naturally produced in the gut: GLP-1 and GIP. In doing so, Mounjaro is able to improve the way your body processes sugar; it may also help you feel fuller faster and for longer, potentially leading to weight loss. In fact, tirzepatide, the active ingredient in both Mounjaro and Zepbound, has led to 12-18% body weight reduction, on average, in ~18-month clinical trials. 

Think Mounjaro may be beneficial for you and your health goals? As mentioned above, you will need a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. So, the first step in your quest to get Mounjaro for weight loss is to schedule a consult with a provider, either in person or virtually. 

The right avenue is an entirely personal decision, and each option works slightly differently. No matter where you get your prescription filled, keep in contact with the prescribing provider. Be sure to schedule and attend your follow-up appointments to keep your treatment on track and ask any questions that may arise.

How to get Mounjaro in person

Schedule an appointment. This might be a bit obvious but it bears repeating: First, you need to schedule an appointment with a licensed healthcare provider, such as your primary care physician (PCP). 

Meet with the provider. During an in-person appointment, your provider will likely perform a physical exam, check your height and weight, and ask questions that center on the following:

• Your medical history and family history

• Your current lifestyle (e.g. eating habits and diet, physical activity)

• Your history of dieting and weight loss

• Any medications or supplements you are currently taking or have tried in the past

• Your weight loss goals 

These questions can help your provider determine whether Mounjaro is a good treatment option for you. Before prescribing Mounjaro, your provider may also order lab tests to assess if there are other factors contributing to your body weight or if you have underlying conditions that may increase your risk for side effects. These tests can also establish a baseline to which you and your provider can refer throughout your weight loss journey. 

If your provider determines Mounjaro is a good fit, they’ll write you a prescription, which you should be able to fill at your nearby pharmacy.

Determine if insurance covers Mounjaro. Before filling your Rx and purchasing Mounjaro, it’s a smart idea to investigate whether your insurance covers the medication. To check, call them directly using the phone number on your insurance card or review your plan’s drug formulary, which includes a list of all the drugs covered by your plan. 

Fill your prescription. If deemed appropriate, your provider will write a prescription for Mounjaro, which can be filled at a local pharmacy. Keep in mind, though, that supply can (and often does) vary across different pharmacies. 

If you face challenges filling your Rx for Mounjaro, consider calling around to other locations or using online resources, such as the Ro GLP-1 Supply Tracker—but more on this later. 

How to get Mounjaro online

The internet truly does have it all, including the ability to get and fill a Mounjaro prescription online. Buying Mounjaro online can be a discrete, accessible way to receive your medication, but not all online providers are created equal. 

Here’s what getting Mounjaro virtually might look like: 

Find an online provider. The ideal online provider will be able to provide consultations and prescribe a GLP-1 medication. You can ask your PCP if they offer online appointments, look for another PCP or practitioner working via a trustworthy telehealth platform, or check with your insurance plan to see if they offer telehealth services. 

Another option is to utilize an online weight loss program, such as  the one through Ro. While Ro does not currently offer Mounjaro, it does offer another tirzepatide-containing medication, Zepbound, which is FDA-approved for weight loss. Meaning, if you’re looking for Mounjaro for weight loss, you might be better off considering Zepbound since it’s indicated for such a use. 

Meet with the provider. Other than communicating from the comfort of your couch and through a screen, this step is similar to that of an in-person visit. During a virtual appointment, your healthcare provider will likely ask you about your weight loss goals, any current medications, and your medical history, so they can double-check that Mounjaro is the best option for you. Depending on your health review, they may order a metabolic lab test before deciding on a treatment plan. If it’s not the right fit, they can recommend an alternative to Mounjaro. 

Determine if insurance covers Mounjaro. Even if you take the virtual route, you still might want to figure out whether your insurance covers the medication before filling and paying for your Rx. As mentioned above, you can do this by calling your insurance plan directly or reviewing your plan’s drug formulary. More on this below. 

Fill your prescription. If your provider decides that Mounjaro is a fit for your and your health goals, they’ll write a prescription that can be filled at an in-person or online pharmacy. 

When filling a prescription online, in particular, it’s important to make sure the pharmacy is legitimate and follows state and federal regulations. You can check your state’s board of pharmacy website to verify an online pharmacy’s license via the FDA’s BeSafeRX tool. You can also confirm a pharmacy is  accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), an organization that ensures digital pharmacies meet national safety standards. 

While reading through the process to get Mounjaro, one burning question probably came into your mind: will my insurance cover the cost of the medication? That depends on your specific policy and the purpose of your Mounjaro prescription.  

Medicare Part D plans can cover Mounjaro when prescribed for type 2 diabetes, though the price varies depending on your specific coverage. It’s important to note that Medicare plans (of any kind) can’t cover Mounjaro for weight loss. Other insurance policies might have a similar rule—especially since Mounjaro is FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. That being said, this isn’t a hard and fast rule for all private insurance plans. 

Plans that are funded partially or fully by the government won’t cover Mounjaro for weight loss, but commercial plans may. If you are on a commercial insurance plan that doesn’t cover Mounjaro for weight loss, your healthcare provider may request prior authorization. If denied, a healthcare provider can file an appeal. 

The list price (without insurance or discounts) of Mounjaro is $1,069.08 per monthly fill (defined as 28 days and four pens). Fortunately, the price you, as a consumer, pay for Mounjaro may be different thanks to insurance coverage, coupons (such as those via pharmacies or programs), and manufacturer discounts.  

When Mounjaro is covered by a private (read: not government-funded) insurance plan, the drug’s manufacturer Eli Lilly offers a pretty sweet deal: the Mounjaro Savings Card. With this card, you may pay as little as $25 for a one- or three-month prescription. 

Even if you’re uninsured or underinsured, there are ways to save. Many pharmacies offer a better deal than the $1,069.08 list price. For a better idea of what you may pay, here’s how much a 5 mg/0.5 mL monthly supply of Mounjaro costs at four pharmacies, according to SingleCare:

*While prices were valid at the time of publication, they may vary based on date and location. For the most accurate estimates, refresh the SingleCare searches and enter your zip code.

Like many fellow GLP-1s (e.g. Ozempic), Mounjaro isn’t immune to the occasional drug shortage. And even when the drug is available—such is the case, as of publication—supply can vary locally, which can cause delays in or difficulty with filing your prescription. 

If there’s a shortage or you’re struggling to get your medication, there are many strategies you can employ to help find Mounjaro in stock. For example, you can call local pharmacies in your area or try online pharmacies. You can also use online resources, such as the r/Mounjaro community on Reddit, where users often share where they’ve had success finding the medication. 

Another option is to use the Ro GLP-Supply Tracker, through which you can report outages to the FDA, track which drugs are currently in short supply (according to the FDA and community reports), and receive updates when supply becomes available nearby. 

If you’ve already done one or both without luck, it may be time to explore other medications, which brings us to…

There are multiple reasons Mounjaro might not be a compatible weight loss treatment. Perhaps there’s a Mounjaro shortage, your insurance won’t cover the drug, or the side effects of Mounjaro don’t agree with you. Or maybe Mounjaro just isn’t working. No matter the reason, you’re not necessarily out of options. There are many other GLP-1s on the market that are approved (or prescribed off-label) for weight loss.

The following Mounjaro alternatives are approved for weight loss, alongside a healthy (typically low-calorie) diet and regular exercise:

• Zepbound (tirzepatide): Zepbound has the same active ingredient as Mounjaro. Unlike Mounjaro, it is FDA-approved for weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight and at least one health-related condition (e.g. high blood pressure). Zepbound is also approved for sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

• Wegovy (semaglutide): Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss and management in adults and children ages 12+ with obesity as well as adults with obesity or overweight who have at least one weight-related health condition (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure). The drug can also be prescribed to lower the risk of major cardiovascular problems (e.g. heart attack, stroke) in adults with heart disease and obesity. 

• Saxenda (liraglutide): While Wegovy and Zepbound are weekly injections, Saxenda is a daily one. It’s  FDA-approved for chronic weight loss and management in adults with obesity or overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition; Saxenda can also be used in children ages 12+ who meet certain weight-related criteria. 

 GLP-1 receptor agonists that may be prescribed off-label for weight loss:

• Ozempic (semaglutide): Featuring the same active ingredient as Wegovy, Ozempic is FDA-approved to lower blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular problems (e.g. heart disease, stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That said, it can be prescribed off-label for weight loss, as well.

• Trulicity (dulaglutide): Similar to Ozempic, Trulicity is FDA-approved to help patients with type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events. Sometimes, it’s prescribed off-label for weight loss.

If oral medications are more your speed, Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) and Xenical (orlistat) are other options with FDA approval to aid with weight loss and management. 

Mounjaro can be an effective, safe option if struggling with obesity or overweight—provided it’s prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider. 

• The journey to get Mounjaro begins in a healthcare provider’s office in-person or online. During the consultation, the provider will likely ask certain questions on topics such as your current lifestyle, history of diet and weight loss, weight loss goals, review your medical history, and potentially order a lab test—all of which will help them assess whether Mounjaro may be a fit for you.

• If Mounjaro is deemed appropriate, the provider will write a prescription for the drug, which you can likely fill at a nearby or online pharmacy. Before purchasing, however, you might want to call your insurance plan or review your plan’s drug formulary to determine whether Mounjaro is covered. 

• If Mounjaro isn’t the right option for you, there are alternatives, such as Zepbound and Wegovy, which a healthcare provider will likely discuss with you during your consultation.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

December 27, 2024

Written by

Angela Myers

Fact checked by

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

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About the medical reviewer

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Patricia Weiser, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist, health content writer, and medical reviewer with more than a decade of clinical experience in community and hospital pharmacy.