Skip to main content
Mounjaro banner

Get patients started on Mounjaro1

The Mounjaro experience, designed for patients like Julia1: not to A1C goal on metformin, struggling to lose excess weight despite her efforts with diet and exercise

Actor portrayal of a patient smiling holding Mounjaro pen image

Actor portrayal of an adult woman with type 2 diabetes

Ready to prescribe Mounjaro?

How to Prescribe
How to Dose
Setting Patient Expectations
Prescribing in EHR

Mounjaro Self-Service Portal

Personalized resources like formulary coverage, savings, patient starter kits and more to get your patients started.

How to Prescribe Mounjaro

Help get patients started on Mounjaro1

*One month is defined as 28 days and 4 pens.
†Three months is defined as 84 days and up to 12 pens.
The 2.5-mg dose is for treatment initiation and is not intended for glycemic control. See Savings Card Terms and Conditions 2.5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1506-80; 5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1495-80l

How to Dose Mounjaro

Multiple doses for customizable glycemic control1‡

START THE EXPERIENCE

Image of 2.5 mg Mounjaro pen

Starting dose (for 4 weeks)

MONTH 1

CONTINUE THE EXPERIENCE

Image of 5 mg Mounjaro pen

For at least 4 weeks

MONTH 2

IF ADDITIONAL GLYCEMIC CONTROL IS NEEDED

Image of 7.5 mg Mounjaro pen

For at least 4 weeks

Image of 10 mg Mounjaro pen

For at least 4 weeks

Image of 12.5 mg Mounjaro pen

For at least 4 weeks

Image of 15 mg Mounjaro pen

Maximum dose

Image depicting escalation of Mounjaro. Starting dose is 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. Continue to 5 mg once weekly for at least 4 weeks. If additional glycemic control is needed, dose can be increased to 7.5 mg once weekly for at least 4 weeks, then 10 mg once weekly for at least 4 weeks, then 12.5 mg once weekly for at least 4 weeks, and then 15 mg once weekly as a maximum dose.

‡Consider patient history and monitor for tolerability and side effects.
The 2.5-mg dose is for treatment initiation and is not intended for glycemic control.
All doses are injected subcutaneously once weekly and dispensed as 1 box or 4 pens for a 28-day supply. 2.5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1506-80; 5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1495-80; 7.5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1484-80; 10-mg dose NDC: 0002-1471-80; 12.5-mg dose NDC: 0002-1460-80; 15-mg dose NDC: 0002-1457-80.

Setting Patient Expectations

What additional information can I provide my patient for getting off to a good start?

  • Remind patients that Mounjaro is taken once weekly and comes in a single-dose pen with a no-see needle.
  • Advise the patient to read the Instructions for Use
  • Allow the patient to practice the injection using the demonstration device.
  • Consider having the patient administer the first dose in the office.
  • Set expectations that Mounjaro may cause some side effects:
    • Discuss the Boxed Warning and other warnings/precautions as appropriate for your patient
    • Patients may experience nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.2 Patients may find it helpful to3-5:
      • Eat smaller meals-try splitting your 3 daily meals into 4 or more smaller ones
      • Stop eating when you feel full.
      • Avoid fat or fatty foods.
      • Try eating bland foods like toast, crackers, or rice.
  • Mounjaro delays stomach emptying, so it may make birth control pills less effective. Recommend to female patients using oral hormonal birth control to switch to a non-oral birth control method or add a barrier method of birth control for 4 weeks after initiation and for 4 weeks after each dose escalation2.
  • If a dose is missed, instruct patients to administer as soon as possible within 4 days after the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose, and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day.

Side effects may vary and should be evaluated by the health care provider for appropriate management.

Download Patient Brochure on Self-Service Portal
Actor portrayal smiling holding Mounjaro pen

Actor portrayal of an adult woman with type 2 diabetes

Share with your patients how to take Mounjaro with the video below.

Storing the Mounjaro pen1

Store Mounjaro in a refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C)

  • If needed, each single-dose pen can be stored unrefrigerated at temperatures not to exceed 86°F (30°C) for up to 21 days.
  • Do not freeze Mounjaro. Do not use Mounjaro if frozen.
  • Store Mounjaro in the original carton to protect from light.
Mounjaro portal

For support and resources, visit the Mounjaro Self-Service Portal

Prescribing in your EHR System

Help patients get from initiation to a therapeutic dose of Mounjaro

Add Mounjaro to Epic SmartSets
Add Mounjaro to Cerner PowerPlans

Select Important Safety Information:

Risk of Thyroid C-cell Tumors: Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Mounjaro and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Mounjaro. Such monitoring may increase the risk of unnecessary procedures, due to the low test specificity for serum calcitonin and a high background incidence of thyroid disease. Significantly elevated serum calcitonin values may indicate MTC and patients with MTC usually have calcitonin values >50 ng/L. If serum calcitonin is measured and found to be elevated, the patient should be further evaluated. Patients with thyroid nodules noted on physical examination or neck imaging should also be further evaluated.

References:

  1. Mounjaro. Instructions for Use. Lilly USA, LLC.
  2. Mounjaro. Prescribing Information. Lilly USA, LLC.
  3. Maceira E, Lesar TS, Smith HS. Medication related nausea and vomiting in palliative medicine. Ann Palliat Med. 2012;1(2):161-176.
  4. Kruger DF, Bode B, Spollett GR. Understanding GLP-1 analogs and enhancing patients success. Diabetes Educ. 2010;36(Suppl 3):44S-72S.
  5. Reid TS. Practical use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy in primary care. Clin Diabetes. 2013;31(4):148-157
Mounjaro wayfinder icon

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is currently only available in a pre-filled single-dose pen manufactured by Lilly. Mounjaro is not commercially available in any other form (e.g., powder for compounding). Products claiming to be compounded Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are not subject to FDA approval and may not have the same safety, quality and efficacy as FDA-approved drugs, and may expose patients to potentially serious health risks.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

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.

Mounjaro is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Mounjaro and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Mounjaro.

Mounjaro is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2, and in patients with known serious hypersensitivity to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in Mounjaro. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and angioedema have been reported with Mounjaro.

Risk of Thyroid C-cell Tumors

Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Mounjaro and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Mounjaro. Such monitoring may increase the risk of unnecessary procedures, due to the low test specificity for serum calcitonin and a high background incidence of thyroid disease. Significantly elevated serum calcitonin values may indicate MTC and patients with MTC usually have calcitonin values >50 ng/L. If serum calcitonin is measured and found to be elevated, the patient should be further evaluated. Patients with thyroid nodules noted on physical examination or neck imaging should also be further evaluated.

Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis, including fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis, has been observed in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. Pancreatitis has been reported in Mounjaro clinical trials. Mounjaro has not been studied in patients with a prior history of pancreatitis. It is unknown if patients with a history of pancreatitis are at higher risk for development of pancreatitis on Mounjaro. Observe patients for signs and symptoms, including persistent severe abdominal pain sometimes radiating to the back, which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. If pancreatitis is suspected, discontinue Mounjaro and initiate appropriate management.

Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin

Concomitant use with an insulin secretagogue (e.g., sulfonylurea) or insulin may increase the risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. The risk of hypoglycemia may be lowered by reducing the dose of sulfonylurea (or other concomitantly administered insulin secretagogue) or insulin. Inform patients using these concomitant medications of the risk of hypoglycemia and educate them on the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis, angioedema), have been reported in patients treated with Mounjaro. If hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue use of Mounjaro; treat promptly per standard of care, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve. Do not use in patients with a previous serious hypersensitivity to Mounjaro. Use caution in patients with a history of angioedema or anaphylaxis with a GLP-1 receptor agonist because it is unknown if such patients will be predisposed to these reactions with Mounjaro.

Acute Kidney Injury

Mounjaro has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, which include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These events may lead to dehydration, which if severe could cause acute kidney injury. In patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, there have been postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury and worsening of chronic renal failure, sometimes requiring hemodialysis. Some of these events have been reported in patients without known underlying renal disease. A majority of reported events occurred in patients who had experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration. Monitor renal function when initiating or escalating doses of Mounjaro in patients with renal impairment reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions.

Severe Gastrointestinal Disease

Use of Mounjaro has been associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. Mounjaro has not been studied in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and is therefore not recommended in these patients.

Diabetic Retinopathy Complications in Patients with a History of Diabetic Retinopathy

Rapid improvement in glucose control has been associated with a temporary worsening of diabetic retinopathy. Mounjaro has not been studied in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy requiring acute therapy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, or diabetic macular edema. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored for progression of diabetic retinopathy.

Acute Gallbladder Disease

In clinical trials, acute gallbladder disease was reported by 0.6% of Mounjaro-treated patients and 0% of placebo-treated patients. If cholelithiasis is suspected, gallbladder diagnostic studies and appropriate clinical follow-up are indicated.

The most common adverse reactions reported in ≥5% of Mounjaro-treated patients in placebo-controlled trials were nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, dyspepsia, and abdominal pain.

Drug Interactions

When initiating Mounjaro, consider reducing the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogues (such as sulfonylureas) or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia. Mounjaro delays gastric emptying, and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications, so caution should be exercised.

Pregnancy

Limited data on Mounjaro use in pregnant women are available to inform on drug-associated risk for major birth defects, miscarriage, or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be risks to the fetus from exposure to tirzepatide. Use only if potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Lactation

There are no data on the presence of tirzepatide in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for Mounjaro and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from Mounjaro or from the underlying maternal condition.

Females of Reproductive Potential

Advise females using oral hormonal contraceptives to switch to a non-oral contraceptive method, or add a barrier method of contraception for 4 weeks after initiation and for 4 weeks after each dose escalation.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness of Mounjaro have not been established and use is not recommended in patients less than 18 years of age.

Please click to access Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning about possible thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer, and Medication Guide.

Please see Instructions for Use included with the pen.

TR HCP ISI 23MAY2023

INDICATION

Mounjaro (tirzepatide), an injectable prescription medicine, is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Limitations of Use: Mounjaro has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Mounjaro is not indicated for use in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.