The semaglutide dosage chart most people read wrong

The myth: higher on the chart means better results from day one

It's tempting to look at a semaglutide dosage chart and head straight to the top. If 2.4 mg is the dose that produced around 15% average weight loss in the STEP 1 trial, why not start there? Because the GI side-effect profile of semaglutide (nausea, loose stools, reflux) is dose-dependent. Beginning at a lower level and holding it for four weeks gives your gut time to adapt. Skipping steps doesn't get you to your goal faster; it usually just makes the first few weeks considerably more uncomfortable, and discomfort is the most common reason people stop early.

The NHS semaglutide medicines page describes the titration pathway and explains why each step matters. The dose increases aren't a formality, they're a safety feature built into the licence.

Wegovy's full dose ladder looks like this in practice: 0.25 mg for weeks 1–4, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, and finally 2.4 mg as the standard maintenance dose. A newer 7.2 mg option (approved by the MHRA in April 2026 for adults with a BMI of 30 or above) extends that ceiling for those who need it. Your prescriber decides whether you're a candidate; the chart is the map, not the destination.

What the dosage chart doesn't show: when to pause, when to stay put

A printed chart shows dose and timing. What it can't show is the clinical judgement that runs alongside it. Some people tolerate every step smoothly and reach 2.4 mg without incident. Others feel significantly nauseous after a step-up and need to stay at the current dose for another four weeks before moving on. Both are normal. Staying at a lower dose longer is not failing, it's the schedule working as intended.

If you're curious about how individual dose levels are managed in practice, the Wegovy doses guide covers each step in more detail. The prescribers at nume review every repeat order individually before any dose is dispensed, which means if something has changed (a new symptom, a period of illness, a planned surgical procedure) it gets picked up before the next pen goes out.

One practical note: if your repeat falls over a bank holiday or at the end of the month, order a few days early. Missing a week because of a delivery gap isn't dangerous, but maintaining consistency makes life simpler. Our prescribers are available seven days a week if something unexpected comes up.

Wegovy 7.2 mg and what it changes on the chart

Until early 2026, 2.4 mg was the ceiling. The MHRA's approval of the dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen in April 2026 added a new rung for a specific group: adults with a BMI of 30 or above for whom the standard maintenance dose hasn't delivered sufficient response. Trial data at 7.2 mg reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks, which brings it closer to tirzepatide's results in head-to-head evidence.

Crucially, 7.2 mg is not a starting dose, and it is not available to people using Wegovy for cardiovascular risk reduction, the licence at that level is for weight management only. The titration still begins at 0.25 mg, following the same four-weekly steps. Anyone comparing a semaglutide dosage chart that includes the 10 mg range from before 2026 with a current one will notice this addition; you can find a fuller breakdown on the Wegovy treatment overview.

For context on how this development fits into the broader landscape of weight-loss treatment options available in the UK, the NICE guidance on semaglutide (TA875) remains the reference point for clinical criteria, though NICE's recommendation focuses on the specialist-service pathway and covers the 2.4 mg maintenance dose; 7.2 mg is a more recent development and sits outside that original appraisal's scope.

Semaglutide dosage in ml: why that question has a short answer

Searches for a semaglutide dosage chart in ml are common, especially from people who've seen compounded semaglutide discussed online, products supplied as a liquid in a vial, drawn into a syringe. If you've encountered a semaglutide 5 mg/ml dosage chart as part of instructions for a liquid preparation, it's worth understanding that licensed Wegovy pens deliver a pre-set fixed dose, with no ml measurement involved. You click the pen, hold it to your skin, and press the button. The dose is determined by which pen you're using, not by how far you draw a plunger.

Compounded or unlicensed semaglutide preparations are a different matter entirely. They are not approved by the MHRA for weight management, they are not what licensed UK pharmacies dispense, and they carry meaningful risks, the MHRA has taken enforcement action against counterfeit and unlicensed injectable products sold online. If you've come across a ml-based chart for a 10 mg semaglutide preparation as part of instructions for a product purchased without a clinical assessment, that's a significant red flag worth taking seriously.

Licensed Wegovy from a GPhC-registered pharmacy comes in pre-filled pens with no measuring required. The dose on the pen is the dose you use, confirmed by your prescriber before each supply. If cost is a factor in comparing options, the treatment pricing page sets out what's included in a private prescription through nume, from consultation to delivery.