NHS-approved ‘weight loss jab’ which suppresses appetite now available at Boots

Saxenda is available to buy through an online prescription service

A weight loss injection, which works by suppressing user’s appetites, is now available to buy at Boots with a prescription.

Saxenda is available across all Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy stores. Those interested will need to apply for a quick online consultation.

Saxenda is a prescription-only medicine and will only be available at Boots with a prescription through its Online Doctor Weight Loss Treatment service.

The jab works by mimicking a hormone called GLP1, which is the hormone that is released after you eat to let you know you’re full.

Saxenda mimics this hormone, curbing your appetite so you consume less calories. It is designed to be combined with a low-fat food plan and moderate activity.

Experts have been quick to stress that it’s not a “miracle” weight loss jab, but it can help aid you towards weight loss.

Users of the jab should expect to lose around five per cent of their body weight in the first three months.

According to the NHS Liraglutide, another name for Saxenda, is “suitable for adults aged up to 75. It is not recommended if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or have certain health conditions, such as liver or kidney problems”.

On Saxenda’s website it says common side effects for those taking the injection include nausea, tiredness, constipation and low blood sugar, among other things. Among the serious side effects it lists “thyroid tumours, including cancer”.

It was first approved in the UK in 2017. Initially only available through private prescription, it was recently rolled out on the NHS under strict criteria.

However, to be eligible to get the jab at a pharmacy you still need to meet a certain criteria including having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above and having previously tried other methods to lose weight.

The online questionnaire will ask you about your medical history and symptoms.

If approved, the jabs can be collected in-store or be delivered. One injection lasts 17 days and a pack of three should last four and a half weeks.

Price-wise, a pack of three pens costs £150 and a pack of five costs £240.