What do semaglutide labels actually tell you?

What information does a licensed semaglutide pack have to include?

A UK-licensed semaglutide product (whether it is a Wegovy injection pen or a Wegovy tablet) must carry outer and inner labelling that meets the requirements set by the MHRA under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. In practice that means the label will state the full product name and brand, the active ingredient and strength, the pharmaceutical form (solution for injection, or film-coated tablet), the route of administration, the name and address of the marketing authorisation holder, and a batch number. The batch number is not decorative: it links the specific pack to a manufacturing record, which is how the MHRA and Novo Nordisk can trace a product if a safety concern arises. You will also see an expiry date, storage instructions referencing refrigeration for the injection pens, and the prescription-only medicine (POM) designation.

The Black Triangle symbol (▼) appears on all current semaglutide weight-management products. This signals that the MHRA requires additional monitoring, typically because the product is relatively new or because the regulator wants to gather more post-market safety data. It does not mean the medicine is unsafe; it means that reporting any suspected side effects via the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme is especially valuable while that symbol is present.

One thing the outer label does not do is tell you what dose to take or how to titrate. That information lives inside the pack, in the patient information leaflet, and is determined by your prescriber. The label's job is identification and traceability, not personalised clinical guidance.

Why do different semaglutide products have such different labels?

This is where a common misconception surfaces, and it is worth setting straight gently. Many people assume that because Ozempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide, their labels are interchangeable and the products are essentially the same thing. They are not. Ozempic is licensed solely for type 2 diabetes in the UK; Wegovy is licensed for weight management. The labels reflect those distinctions because the licensed indications, the approved doses, and the patient populations differ. Wegovy injection pens titrate up to a 2.4mg weekly maintenance dose; Ozempic's licensed doses sit lower. The 25mg Wegovy tablet (the first oral GLP-1 medicine approved for weight management in the UK, cleared by the MHRA on 11 June 2026) carries its own separate labelling with its own dosing schedule and specific instructions about how and when to take it.

The label distinction also matters for safety. The tablet must be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of plain water and a wait of at least 30 minutes before food, other drinks, or medicines. That instruction appears on the inner label and in the leaflet precisely because getting it wrong affects how much of the medicine is absorbed. Understanding why the label says what it says makes it easier to follow correctly.

If you are considering treatment and want to understand the full licensed picture for each product, including situations where semaglutide may be prescribed outside its standard licensed indications, the NHS semaglutide medicines page covers both injection and tablet forms in plain English.

How can you tell whether a semaglutide label is genuine?

The MHRA has made clear that counterfeit semaglutide and GLP-1 products have entered the UK market through online sellers and social media, with large quantities seized in enforcement operations. Fake pens have sometimes contained incorrect substances, which has led to hospitalisations. The label is often the first clue that something is wrong, or it can be used to verify that it is not.

Genuine UK-licensed Wegovy pens come from Novo Nordisk through the authorised supply chain. The label's print quality, font consistency, batch number format, and the presence of the POM and Black Triangle designations are all markers of a legitimate pack. A batch number that cannot be verified, packaging with inconsistent fonts, or a label that lacks the marketing authorisation holder's name are red flags.

The most reliable check is simpler than scrutinising print quality: buy only from a pharmacy you can verify on the GPhC register. A GPhC-registered pharmacy sources medicines through the licensed UK supply chain and is accountable to a regulator. Sellers offering semaglutide without a prescription, via social media, or at prices well below the current market range are operating outside that chain. There is a cost context worth understanding here: private weight-loss treatment in the UK involves a real prescription and clinical assessment, and any legitimate price reflects that. If you want to understand what a transparent private price looks like and what it should include, the treatment options page sets it out clearly.

At nume, every order is reviewed by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber before anything is dispensed, and medicines are sourced through Novo Nordisk's authorised UK supplier relationship. That traceability starts with the label on the pen or tablet pack and runs through the entire supply chain, and our approach to semaglutide lab monitoring is part of how we maintain that standard of care.

What should you do if something on your label looks wrong?

If you receive a semaglutide product and something on the label does not match what you expected (a different batch number format, a missing symbol, a strength that does not correspond to your prescription) do not use it. Contact the pharmacy that supplied it straight away. If you believe the product is counterfeit or comes from an unverified source, you can report it to the MHRA via the Yellow Card scheme, which accepts reports about both suspected side effects and suspect medicines.

For patients already on treatment through nume, our prescribers are available for aftercare queries seven days a week. If you have questions about a specific strength or what the 0.25mg starting pen or a higher-dose pen should look like, the FAQs page is a good first stop, and the team is reachable via our contact page if you need to speak to someone directly.