Do you meet the criteria for semaglutide weight-loss treatment?

The BMI numbers — and why they are not the whole picture

Semaglutide for weight management is licensed in the UK for adults with a BMI of 30 or above. Adults with a BMI between 27 and 29.9 can also qualify, provided they have at least one weight-related condition. That list includes type 2 diabetes, raised blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease, among others. So if you have ever been told your cholesterol is high, or if you carry a diagnosis of prediabetes, that second pathway is open to you even if your BMI sits just below 30.

One thing worth saying plainly: a lot of people assume semaglutide is only for the very heaviest patients. It is not. The 27 threshold exists precisely because the evidence shows that carrying excess weight alongside a related health condition carries real risk at lower BMI levels too. The NHS BMI calculator is a quick way to find your number before speaking to anyone, though it is your full health picture, not the number alone, that a prescriber considers. You can check your current BMI using the NHS BMI calculator as a starting point.

UK guidance also recognises that BMI can underestimate risk for some ethnic backgrounds. For people of South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean heritage, the relevant thresholds are typically 2.5 kg/m² lower than the standard figures, so 27.5 instead of 30, and 24.5 instead of 27. More on how these numbers interact with NHS-specific criteria is laid out on our semaglutide BMI guidance page.

NHS criteria versus private prescribing criteria

This is where many people get confused, and it is worth being direct about it. The NICE recommendation for semaglutide (Wegovy) under NICE technology appraisal TA875 sets additional conditions for NHS funding that go beyond the licence. On the NHS, Wegovy is currently available only through specialist weight management services, for adults with a BMI of 35 or above (or 32.5 for eligible ethnic backgrounds) and at least one weight-related comorbidity, for a maximum of two years. Waiting lists for those services are long in most areas.

Private prescribing follows the licensed thresholds rather than the NICE funding criteria. That means a prescriber working privately can assess someone with a BMI of 30 (or 27 with a weight-related condition) and issue a prescription if the clinical picture supports it. Suitability is still judged individually, there are contraindications, and no online pharmacy should be skipping that assessment. If you want to understand what the NICE-specific criteria mean in practice, our page on NICE's criteria for Wegovy covers the detail.

For context on how treatment costs compare across private providers, the Wegovy treatment overview sets out what is typically included in a private prescription service.

Conditions that affect suitability, whatever your BMI

Meeting the BMI criteria is necessary but not sufficient. A prescriber will also ask about your medical history before issuing a semaglutide prescription. Certain conditions change the picture. A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) means semaglutide is contraindicated. A history of pancreatitis warrants careful discussion. Severe gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastroparesis, also require consideration.

Semaglutide is not recommended during pregnancy, whilst breastfeeding, or if you are trying to conceive. It is not licensed for anyone under 18. If you take other medicines (levothyroxine is a common one) it is worth discussing interactions with your prescriber; there is more on this on our semaglutide and levothyroxine page. If you want to read through the criteria for Wegovy for weight loss in full before speaking to anyone, our dedicated page covers what prescribers are looking for. The broader semaglutide eligibility question is also covered on our dedicated Wegovy criteria page if you want to read further before speaking to anyone.

Our prescribers review the whole picture, not a checklist. If you want to find out whether you are likely to be suitable, the clearest next step is a conversation with the clinical team at our pharmacy.

What happens at the assessment stage

At nume, the process begins with a free online consultation. A GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reads your answers the same day, a real clinician, not an automated screen. You will be asked to verify your identity and confirm your weight on a live video call. That step matters: it is how a legitimate pharmacy separates clinical care from a simple web purchase.

If a prescriber approves treatment, semaglutide criteria include an ongoing review component. Before any dose increase, evidence of progress is checked. Before a repeat order, your clinical picture is reviewed again. That is standard practice under GPhC registration standards, and it is how responsible prescribing works for any prescription-only medicine. You can explore what is included in a full private weight-loss assessment on the treatment consultation page and decide from there whether to go ahead.