Weight loss medication - Tissue - deceased donors

Essential information

Includes

Oral or injectable drugs for management of weight loss.

Obligatory

1. Oral medication
   Must not donate if:
   Within the last 3 months, one or both of the following apply:
   1. The donor used medication that had not been prescribed for them by a healthcare practitioner licensed to prescribe.
   2. The donor used medication that had been obtained from a non-licensed source.
      
      
2. Injectable medication
   Must not donate if:
   Within the last 3 months, one or more of the following apply:
   1. The donor used medication had not been prescribed for them by a healthcare practitioner licensed to prescribe.
   2. The donor used medication that had been obtained from a non-licensed source.
   3. The donor had shared medication vials, pens or injection equipment with other users.

Discretionary

1. Oral medication
   Accept if:
   1. Neither of the conditions below apply, or
   2. Either or both of the conditions below apply, but the activity was greater than 3 months ago:
      1. The donor used medication that had not been prescribed for them by a healthcare practitioner licensed to prescribe.
      2. The donor used medication that had not been obtained from a licensed source.
         
         
2. Injectable medication
   Accept if:
   1. None of the conditions below apply, or
   2. One or more of the conditions below apply, but the activity was greater than 3 months ago:
      1. The donor used medication that had not been prescribed for them by a healthcare practitioner licensed to prescribe.
      2. The donor used medication that had been obtained from a non-licensed source.
      3. The donor had shared medication vials, pen or injection equipment with other users.

Supporting information

See if relevant

• Tissues safety

Additional information

Several treatments for weight loss are licensed for use by the NHS including the oral medication orlistat (Alli®, Xenical®) and the injectable medications tirzepatide (Mounjaro®), liraglutide (Saxenda®) and semaglutide (Wegovy®). Other medications may also be licensed in different countries. Donors prescribed licensed medications through an NHS provider (or an equivalent licensed provider in their home country if the donor is a visitor to the UK) can be accepted provided they are/were using the medication correctly.

Patients who are not eligible for NHS treatment may obtain weight loss medications from private providers. As long as the treatment has been prescribed by a registered healthcare professional and issued through a licensed pharmacy, the donor can be accepted.

Donors who have used injectable medication from a non-licensed source (including from friends or family), or who may have shared medication vials, pens or injecting equipment, should be deferred for at least 3 months from last use of the medication; this time period is being applied using the precautionary principle.

Donors who have purchased treatments online can be accepted provided they meet the conditions outlined above.

Reason for change:

This is a new entry.

Version:

Donor weight and weight loss medication

Version details:

TD-DSG Edition 203 Release 67 (6 October 2026)