How online prescribing for Wegovy actually works in the UK

You've found an online service and you're wondering if it's real

That scepticism is well-placed. The online weight-loss market has expanded fast, and not every service asking for your card details is operating to the standard you'd expect from a high-street pharmacy. The short test: look up any online pharmacy on the GPhC pharmacy register. If it isn't listed, stop there. A registered pharmacy displays its GPhC number prominently (ours is 9012878) and you can verify that in seconds. A genuine online prescribing service also requires you to complete a detailed health questionnaire, provide photo ID, and confirm your current weight. At nume, that means a live video verification rather than an unwitnessed self-report. It adds a minute to the process and matters enormously to safety.

The MHRA has warned publicly about counterfeit weight-loss pens sold through social media and unofficial websites, with large seizures of fake pens made across the UK in 2024 and 2025. A discounted listing with no verifiable clinical review behind it is the clearest red flag. You can report any suspect seller directly through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

What the prescriber actually reviews before signing a Wegovy prescription

Once your consultation arrives with a prescriber, the assessment covers more than your BMI. Wegovy is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 and above alongside at least one weight-related condition, for example, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. But the number on the scale is the starting point, not the whole picture.

The prescriber considers your full medical history: any conditions that would make this medicine unsuitable (a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, for instance, or a history of pancreatitis), current medications and potential interactions, and whether you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, in which case Wegovy is not recommended. They also check whether you're already on oral contraceptives, since the titration schedule can affect absorption of some medicines taken by mouth. None of that review can happen without a real clinician reading your notes. Our clinical team signs off every prescription personally, the same day you submit.

The NHS's own guidance on weight-management injections sets out what responsible prescribing should involve, which is useful reading if you want to compare what any service offers against that standard.

The difference between NHS prescribing and a private online route

Your GP can prescribe Wegovy, but only under specific NHS commissioning criteria that are still being phased in. NICE recommends semaglutide for weight management only within a specialist service and for a maximum of two years, and the current NHS eligibility thresholds mean many people who would benefit medically don't yet qualify or face long waiting lists. Whether your GP can prescribe Wegovy on the NHS right now depends on your area, your BMI, and your comorbidities.

A private online prescription through a registered pharmacy is the alternative for people who meet the licensed clinical criteria but fall outside NHS thresholds or simply can't wait. If you're weighing up your options, understanding whether a GP can prescribe Wegovy privately as well as through the NHS is a helpful place to start. The clinical standard must be identical, the same assessment rigour, the same safety checks, the same GPhC oversight. What differs is speed and access. If cost is part of your thinking, the cost of a Wegovy prescription online covers what a private service typically includes and what to watch for in headline prices that look low.

Storing and taking Wegovy once prescribed

Once a prescription is issued and your treatment is dispensed, Wegovy arrives as a pre-filled injection pen. Storage is straightforward in practice: the pen lives in the fridge, typically in the door alongside everyday items, until the day you use it. The exact room-temperature window (if you need to take it out ahead of your injection) is set out in the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with your pen; always follow that rather than any figure you find online, because it is product-specific. Injection sites are the abdomen, outer thigh or upper arm, rotated each week.

If you want practical detail on the titration schedule, how Wegovy is prescribed and titrated walks through the licensed dose steps. Missed doses, early increases and any side effects that concern you should go back to your prescriber, not a forum. Our frequently asked questions cover the aftercare questions that come up most often. When you're ready to check your eligibility, you can buy Wegovy online through a registered pharmacy once a prescriber has confirmed you're suitable, it's free to check, and reviewed the same day.