How to Get Prescribed Semaglutide in the UK

Step 1: Understand where a prescription actually comes from

Semaglutide (sold as Wegovy for weight management) is licensed in the UK for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 and above where at least one weight-related condition is present, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. A prescriber decides whether you meet these criteria after reviewing your full health picture; the BMI figure alone is never the whole story.

There are two routes. Through the NHS, semaglutide is available via specialist weight management services under NICE appraisal TA875, but criteria are strict and waiting lists are commonly long. For anyone who does not meet the current NHS thresholds, or who would rather not wait, a private prescription from a regulated online pharmacy is the legal alternative. You can read more about how the NHS route compares on our Wegovy overview page.

Whichever route you choose, the process ends in the same place: a named prescriber signs a prescription, and a GPhC-registered pharmacy dispenses the medicine. There is no version of this that is legal without those two steps.

Step 2: Complete a clinical consultation

At nume, the process starts with a free online consultation, no payment before your information is reviewed. You answer questions about your weight history, current medications, relevant conditions and lifestyle. That submission goes to a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber on the same day. They read it, assess whether semaglutide is clinically appropriate for you, and either approve treatment or explain why they cannot prescribe at this time.

We also carry out photo-ID identity verification and live weight verification on video. If you are transferring from another provider or requesting a dose increase, we ask for evidence, your previous prescription records, recent weigh-in confirmation. These checks are not bureaucratic friction; they are how responsible prescribing works. Our clinical team reviews every case personally before anything is dispensed.

If you have questions about whether your circumstances make you eligible, a good starting point is our guide on getting prescribed Wegovy, which covers common eligibility scenarios in more detail. For questions about your GP's role in the process, the page on GP semaglutide prescribing explains what is and is not possible in primary care right now.

Step 3: Receive your treatment and know what to expect

Once a prescriber approves your treatment, your prescription is processed by our GPhC-registered pharmacy and dispatched the same day if your order arrived before 12pm on a working day. DPD delivers the next working day, you get a tracking link on your phone, the parcel is plain and unmarked, and inside you will find a Wegovy pen, ready to go into the fridge door. The NHS semaglutide medicines page has a clear account of storage requirements and what to expect in the first weeks.

Before every repeat order, a prescriber reviews your case again, your progress, any side effects, whether the current dose is still right for you. There are no automatic renewals. That ongoing review is what private prescribing should look like, and you can read more about what that involves on our page covering how we prescribe semaglutide at every stage of treatment. If you want to explore the broader process before deciding, this page on accessing semaglutide privately covers the full landscape.

How to verify any online pharmacy, and why it matters

Not every website offering semaglutide is what it claims to be. The MHRA has warned repeatedly about counterfeit weight-loss pens sold online, some have contained insulin rather than semaglutide, and people have been hospitalised as a result. In 2025 alone, around 20 million doses of illegally traded weight-loss medicines were seized, and the first UK site manufacturing fake tirzepatide pens was raided. The MHRA's Yellow Card scheme is where you report a suspect seller or a suspected fake product.

Before purchasing from any online pharmacy, check that it appears on the GPhC register. You can verify nume directly at the GPhC register, premises number 9012878. Red flags include sellers who offer these medicines without asking for a consultation, prices significantly below what regulated providers charge, and discount codes tied to specific medicines. A prescription medicine sold cheaply with no clinical assessment is not a bargain, it is a risk. Our guide to buying Wegovy safely sets out what to check before you hand over payment details to any provider.

If you are ready to see whether you are eligible and to speak with a prescriber, check your eligibility and start your free consultation.