Over £200 a month: the cost of living with type 2 diabetes for a Gran from Inverness

An Inverness woman is paying more than £200 a month for drugs to treat her type 2 diabetes because doctors have told her the NHS cannot afford to pay for it on prescription.

Mounjaro was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but it can also be used for weight loss and has been widely publicized about its demand among dieters.

Janice D’Olier (57), from Milton of Leys, was diagnosed with type 2 in 2016 and was treated for some time with the hormone Metoformin, taken orally.

But in June 2023, her body began to reject this drug, and after several tests, including biopsies, she was taken off Metoformin and prescribed several alternative treatments that gave her “horrendous side effects,” including not being too far from a toilet could be.

Her GP suggested Mounjaro injections but said the NHS could not buy them due to a shortage of supplies.

“He suggested I look online to buy it,” she said: “In desperation I managed to find it and buy it online until the NHS could get hold of the supplies.”

Janice, a cost manager at a wind farm in Caithness, then discovered that Mounjaro, which is self-administered with one injection per week, was “amazing”.

She added: “It was life changing, I have never felt so good!

“After two months I went to have my blood checked to make sure my diabetes was under control again. I was delighted when the doctor said my blood levels had dropped as a result. He gave me a prescription for the medicine and told me I might be able to get it.”

However, her joy was short-lived. After getting it for a month on a trial basis and it still working well, Janice was given a second month’s prescription by her doctor…but that was it.

It was suddenly discontinued by her medical practice and it turned out that it was not readily available by prescription due to cost.

“I was told the GP had made a mistake and it should never have been prescribed, and I was given an apology letter,” she said.

Janice was determined to take the matter further and filed a complaint with the practice. She spoke to a partner and left the meeting ‘very upset’, but with a referral to Dr MacFarlane in the renal unit at Raigmore Hospital.

She said she was told her case would be reviewed, but so far there have been no new developments.

She said: “It seems like it’s all about money. I was told that if everyone got that drug the NHS would go bankrupt, but I’ve worked all my life and paid my taxes. I’m not giving up.”

So far the online medication has cost her a total of more than £1,400.

“You just have to tighten your belt,” she said.

A spokesperson for NHS Highland said: “Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is included in the Highland Formulary for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

“Treatment is based on the patient’s individual circumstances and in collaboration with primary care and specialist teams.

“We would like to discuss further with Ms D’Olier and ask her to contact our feedback team.”

John Kinnear, national director for Scotland at Diabetes UK, said: “Drugs such as Mounjaro play an important role in the overall management and management of type 2 diabetes and are also an option for some people to help with weight management. Anyone who meets the criteria and is eligible should have access to it.”

Mounjaro works by helping your body produce more insulin when it is needed. It also reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver and slows the rate at which food is digested.

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