Buy Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) — Online Prescription
Mounjaro is Lilly's once-weekly tirzepatide injection for type 2 diabetes, the same molecule sold as Zepbound for weight loss. This page covers what it costs with and without insurance, how the $25 savings card really works, the dose-by-dose schedule, side effects at each dose, and how it compares with Ozempic.
Medically reviewed Medically reviewed by Jill St. Germain, PharmD — NPI 1356626378 · Last updated 2026-11-09
| Active ingredient | Tirzepatide |
|---|---|
| Dosage form | Once-weekly injection — single-dose pen, KwikPen (4 doses), single-dose or multi-dose vial; 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg |
| Administration route | Subcutaneous |
Class: Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor Agonist [EPC]
Indications: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE MOUNJARO ® is indicated: as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), or non-fatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are at high risk for these events. MOUNJARO ® is a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucag…
Boxed warning: WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS In both male and female rats, tirzepatide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. It is unknown whether MOUNJARO causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as human relevance of tirzepatide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )]. MOUNJARO is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with Multiple Endocrine N…
Contraindications: 4 CONTRAINDICATIONS MOUNJARO is contraindicated in patients with: A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Known serious hypersensitivity to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in MOUNJARO. Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema, have been reported with MOUNJARO [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . Personal or family his…
openFDA label data — Updated 2026-11-05Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a once-weekly prescription injection for type 2 diabetes, and the same medicine as Zepbound. You start at 2.5 mg and step up every 4 weeks or more, to as high as 15 mg. With commercial insurance that covers it, Lilly's savings card can bring it to as little as $25; if your plan doesn't cover it, as low as $499 a month. There is no cash-pay program and no generic. The main side effects are nausea and diarrhea (12–18% at the different doses), mostly right after each dose increase.
What Mounjaro is (and how it relates to Zepbound)
FDA-approved uses, from the August 2026 label:
- Type 2 diabetes, with diet and exercise, in adults and in children 10 years and older
- Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk of those events
Mounjaro
- Approved for
- Type 2 diabetes; heart-risk reduction in type 2 diabetes
- Doses
- 2.5 to 15 mg weekly
- Usually covered
- With a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, including Medicare Part D
- Cash program
- None
Zepbound
- Approved for
- Weight loss and maintenance; obstructive sleep apnea
- Doses
- 2.5 to 15 mg weekly
- Usually covered
- Varies widely; many plans exclude weight-loss drugs
- Cash program
- $299–$449 a month self-pay; Medicare $50 Bridge
Same molecule, same pens, same doses. The name on the prescription decides which coverage rules and which savings programs apply. If you don't have type 2 diabetes and want tirzepatide for weight loss, the prescription your prescriber needs to write is Zepbound.
Mounjaro cost, coupon and savings card
Sources: Lilly Mounjaro Savings Card terms (through December 31, 2026); CMS NADAC survey of October 21, 2026. The cash range is an estimate above pharmacy cost, not an Arrow Pharmacy quote. Call for your exact price.
- GoodRx-type coupons rarely beat the Lilly card for Mounjaro, because the drug's own cost to pharmacies is about $1,077 a month. Ask us to compare.
- Prior authorization is common: plans typically want a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and some want a trial of metformin first. We can tell you what your plan requires before your prescriber sends it.
- No diabetes? Zepbound's self-pay prices ($299–$449) are far lower than Mounjaro without coverage. Compare every route in our GLP-1 price guide and savings card guide.
- Compounded tirzepatide isn't the same product. The FDA ended the shortage that allowed widespread compounding; we fill the FDA-approved pens.
Mounjaro dosage chart
| Dose | Earliest start | Time on this dose | What it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | Week 1 | 4 weeks | Starting dose only, to let your stomach adjust |
| 5 mg | Week 5 | At least 4 weeks before any increase | Maintenance dose |
| 7.5 mg | Week 9 | At least 4 weeks before any increase | Maintenance dose |
| 10 mg | Week 13 | At least 4 weeks before any increase | Maintenance dose |
| 12.5 mg | Week 17 | At least 4 weeks before any increase | Maintenance dose |
| 15 mg | Week 21 | Ongoing | Maintenance dose (maximum) |
- Same day each week, any time, with or without food. Inject under the skin of the stomach or thigh, or the back of the upper arm if someone else gives it. Rotate sites every dose.
- Missed a dose? Take it within 4 days (96 hours). If more time has passed, skip it and take the next dose on your usual day. You can move your injection day if doses are at least 3 days apart.
- Children 10 and older follow the same start but top out at 10 mg.
- Presentations: single-dose pens (carton of 4), single-dose vials, and a KwikPen or multi-dose vial holding 4 weekly doses. Single-dose pens hold 0.5 mL per dose; the 4-dose KwikPen and vial deliver 0.6 mL, so you get device training each time the device changes.
Want the actual dates? Our GLP-1 dosing schedule calculator turns your start date into a dose-by-dose Mounjaro calendar, with the day to ask for each new strength, and a printable or phone-calendar version.
Mounjaro side effects
Source: MOUNJARO prescribing information, August 2026. Any stomach or gut side effect: 37% at 5 mg, 40% at 10 mg, 44% at 15 mg, vs. 20% on placebo. 3.0–6.6% stopped because of them (vs. under 1% on placebo). Bars scaled to 18%.
Expect some of these
- Nausea, especially the first days after a dose increase
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Less appetite, early fullness, burping
- Tiredness
- Redness or itching at the injection site (about 3%)
Needs a check
- Vomiting or diarrhea that keeps you from drinking fluids (dehydration can harm the kidneys)
- Shakiness, sweating, confusion: low blood sugar, mainly if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea
- Vision changes, if you have diabetic eye disease
- Hair thinning
- Any planned surgery or sedation: tell the team you take it
Rare but serious
- Severe stomach pain that may spread to the back, with or without vomiting (pancreatitis)
- Pain in the upper right belly, fever, yellow skin (gallbladder)
- Swelling of face or throat, trouble breathing
- A lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, persistent hoarseness
Tips that help with nausea: smaller meals, stop eating when you feel full, go easy on greasy and very sweet food, and don't lie down right after eating. If side effects don't settle, ask your prescriber about staying on your current dose longer before stepping up. The label allows it.
Results: blood sugar and weight
Starting A1c 8.3%, starting weight about 93 kg (205 lb). 82–86% of people on Mounjaro reached an A1c under 7%, vs. 79% on semaglutide. Bars scaled to 11.2 kg.
Weight loss in these diabetes trials was real but smaller than in Zepbound's weight-loss trials (up to 20.9% at 15 mg over 72 weeks), which ran longer in people without diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes generally lose less weight on any GLP-1.
Mounjaro vs. Ozempic
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Ozempic (semaglutide) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | GIP + GLP-1 (two hormone signals) | GLP-1 only |
| Weekly doses | 2.5 → 5 → up to 15 mg | 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 2 mg |
| A1c drop, head-to-head (SURPASS-2) | 2.0–2.3 points | 1.9 points (1 mg) |
| Weight loss, head-to-head | 7.6–11.2 kg | 5.7 kg (1 mg) |
| Heart-risk approval | Yes (type 2 diabetes, high CV risk) | Yes, plus kidney-disease approval |
| Pill version | No | Yes: Ozempic tablets and Rybelsus |
| Cash price without insurance | No program; card $499 if not covered | $199 first two months, then $349–$499 self-pay |
| Savings card cap | $150/month, $1,950/year | $100/month |
In the only head-to-head trial, Mounjaro lowered A1c and weight more at every dose. Ozempic has a pill form, a cash-pay option and a kidney-disease approval. Switching between them isn't a milligram-for-milligram swap; your prescriber restarts you on the new drug's schedule. Prices for every GLP-1 side by side are in our GLP-1 price guide, and all four injections are compared in Ozempic vs. Mounjaro vs. Wegovy vs. Zepbound.
Who shouldn't take it, and interactions
Tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats. It isn't known whether it does in people. Don't take Mounjaro if you or a family member has had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or you have MEN 2. Report a neck lump, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath or lasting hoarseness.
- Insulin or sulfonylureas (glipizide, glimepiride): higher risk of low blood sugar; those doses are often lowered.
- Birth control pills: Mounjaro slows stomach emptying and can lower pill absorption. The label advises a non-oral method, or adding a barrier method, for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose increase.
- Other oral medicines with narrow dosing ranges (like warfarin) may absorb differently; your prescriber may check levels.
- Don't combine with other GLP-1 medicines, including Zepbound, Ozempic or Wegovy.
- Pregnancy: tell your prescriber if you're planning to become pregnant.
- Surgery or sedation: tell the team. GLP-1 medicines have been linked to food staying in the stomach during anesthesia.
How to get Mounjaro filled at Arrow
- Check coverage firstCall us with your insurance card. We'll check whether your plan covers Mounjaro and what prior authorization it needs.
- Prescriber sends itYour doctor or nurse practitioner sends the prescription to Arrow Pharmacy, starting at 2.5 mg.
- We apply your savings cardWith commercial coverage, we add Lilly's savings card so you pay as little as $25.
- Pick up or deliveryFree delivery in the Hartford area. Ask for your next strength about a week before each step up.
Call Arrow Pharmacy at (860) 522-9289. We'll check your coverage, apply the savings card and keep each new strength in stock on time. Already filling it elsewhere? We can transfer your prescription.
No active shortage reported — No shortage records found for this generic name.
FDA openFDA — Updated 2026-11-05National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC): $1,077.393 per month (four single-dose pens) (MOUNJARO 5 MG/0.5 ML PEN). This is the average price pharmacies pay wholesalers — not your out-of-pocket cost — published by CMS for pricing transparency.
CMS NADAC — Updated 2026-11-05Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) Prices in the USA
| Dosage | Brand-name avg. price |
|---|---|
| Any strength, commercial insurance that covers it + Lilly savings card | As little as $25 for up to a 3-month fill |
| Any strength, commercial insurance that does not cover it + savings card | As low as $499 per month |
| 4 single-dose pens (one month), no insurance or program | $1,100+ |
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common side effects of Mounjaro?
Stomach and gut effects, mostly in the weeks after each dose increase. In the FDA placebo-controlled trials, nausea affected 12% of people on 5 mg, 15% on 10 mg and 18% on 15 mg (4% on placebo), and diarrhea 12–17% (9% on placebo). Decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and stomach pain were also more common than on placebo. Injection-site reactions occurred in about 3%.
How long do Mounjaro side effects last?
For most people, nausea and other stomach effects are worst in the first days after starting or raising the dose and ease over the following weeks, which is why the label sets at least 4 weeks on each dose. In the trials, 3–7% of people stopped Mounjaro because of stomach side effects. If they don't settle, your prescriber can hold you at your current dose longer.
Is there a Mounjaro coupon or savings card?
Yes. With commercial insurance that covers Mounjaro, Lilly's savings card can bring a fill to as little as $25 for up to a 3-month supply, with savings capped at $150 a month and $1,950 a year. If your commercial plan doesn't cover it, the card can bring a month to as low as $499. The card can't be used with Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE or other government plans, and current terms end December 31, 2026.
How much is Mounjaro without insurance?
There is no Lilly cash-pay program for Mounjaro. Pharmacies pay about $1,077 for a month's carton of 4 pens (CMS NADAC, October 2026), so a cash price without any program starts above that. With commercial insurance that doesn't cover it, the savings card brings it to as low as $499 a month. For weight loss without diabetes, Zepbound (the same medicine) has self-pay prices of $299 to $449 a month.
Is Mounjaro the same as Zepbound?
Yes, the same molecule, tirzepatide, made by Eli Lilly, at the same doses. Mounjaro is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and to lower heart-attack and stroke risk in people with type 2 diabetes. Zepbound is approved for weight loss and obstructive sleep apnea. Insurers cover them under different rules, and only Zepbound has Lilly's self-pay prices and Medicare's $50 Bridge.
Can Mounjaro be prescribed for weight loss?
Mounjaro itself is approved for type 2 diabetes. For weight loss without diabetes, prescribers use Zepbound, the same drug approved for that purpose. In Mounjaro's diabetes trials, weight fell by about 6 to 11 kg (13 to 25 lb) over 40 weeks depending on dose. Most insurers cover Mounjaro only with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Is Mounjaro better than Ozempic?
In the one head-to-head diabetes trial (SURPASS-2, 40 weeks), every Mounjaro dose lowered A1c more than Ozempic's semaglutide 1 mg (by 2.0–2.3 points vs. 1.9) and produced more weight loss (7.6–11.2 kg vs. 5.7 kg). Ozempic also has a kidney-disease approval, a pill form and a cash-pay price; Mounjaro has no self-pay program. Which is better for you depends on your coverage and how you tolerate each.
Is Mounjaro insulin?
No. Mounjaro is a weekly GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, not insulin. It helps your pancreas release insulin only when blood sugar is high, so on its own it rarely causes low blood sugar. The risk of lows goes up if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea such as glipizide, and your prescriber may lower those doses when you start.
What is the highest dose of Mounjaro?
15 mg once a week for adults (10 mg for children 10 and older). You start at 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, move to 5 mg, and can step up by 2.5 mg after at least 4 weeks on each dose, so 15 mg can start in week 21 at the earliest. Any dose from 5 to 15 mg can be a maintenance dose.
Does Mounjaro cause hair loss?
Hair loss (alopecia) is listed in Mounjaro's post-marketing reports. In Zepbound's weight-loss trials of the same drug, it was reported by 4–5% of people versus 1% on placebo. Rapid weight loss itself often causes temporary shedding that grows back. Tell your prescriber if you notice it.
Where do you inject Mounjaro?
Under the skin of the stomach area or thigh, or the back of the upper arm if someone else gives it. Use the same day each week, any time, with or without food, and rotate sites with every dose. If you miss a dose, take it within 4 days (96 hours); after that, skip it and take the next one on your usual day.
What is "natural Mounjaro" or the Brazilian or Japanese Mounjaro recipe?
Social-media drink recipes, usually some mix of apple cider vinegar, lemon, ginger or tea. They contain no tirzepatide and have no relationship to Mounjaro. They won't lower blood sugar or weight the way the medicine does. Real tirzepatide is only available by prescription.
Sources
- MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection — FDA-approved prescribing information (revised August 2026) — U.S. National Library of Medicine (DailyMed) / Eli Lilly and Company
- Mounjaro Savings Card terms — Eli Lilly and Company
- ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — FDA-approved prescribing information — U.S. National Library of Medicine (DailyMed) / Eli Lilly and Company
- Final CY 2026 Part D Redesign Program Instructions ($2,100 out-of-pocket threshold) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- FDA clarifies policies for compounders as national GLP-1 supply begins to stabilize — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) — MOUNJARO single-dose pens, survey of October 21, 2026 — CMS
- openFDA Drug Shortages — U.S. FDA