Wegovy available doses: what the UK schedule actually looks like

The myth: a higher starting dose means faster results

The most common misconception about Wegovy's dose ladder is that starting at a higher dose will accelerate weight loss. It won't, and a prescriber who let you skip the lower rungs would be doing you a disservice. The 0.25 mg starting dose exists entirely for tolerability. Semaglutide slows gastric emptying and acts on appetite centres in the brain; the body needs time to adjust. Jumping straight to a maintenance dose would significantly increase the likelihood of nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal effects.

The five-step standard schedule (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg) is designed so that each four-week phase settles your system before the next increase. Your prescriber may also slow that pace if you are finding a particular dose difficult. The schedule in the Patient Information Leaflet and SmPC on the eMC is the clinical reference for exact timing; nothing here replaces that document or your prescriber's instruction.

One thing the NHS medicines page for semaglutide makes clear: if you experience significant side effects at a given dose, the right response is to tell your prescriber, not to push through or to drop back on your own initiative. Dose management is a clinical decision.

What the wegovy doses available in the UK actually are

The standard pre-filled pens cover 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Each pen is single-dose, once weekly. The 2.4 mg pen is the standard maintenance dose that underpinned the STEP 1 trial results, an average reduction of around 15% of body weight over 68 weeks, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In January 2026 the MHRA approved a higher 7.2 mg maintenance dose, initially supplied as three 2.4 mg pens administered weekly. Then on 14 April 2026 a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg pen was approved: one pre-set injection per week, auto-dosing mechanism, built-in covered needle, locks after use. Trials at this dose reported around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks. The 7.2 mg pen is licensed for adults with BMI ≥30 only, it does not extend to the lower BMI threshold with a weight-related condition, and it is not approved for cardiovascular risk reduction. Availability of the 7.2 mg pen in the UK is still settling; confirm what is currently dispensable at consultation.

There is one important distinction worth making here. Rybelsus is also oral semaglutide (3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg tablets) but those are licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight management. The Wegovy strengths available for weight loss are entirely separate from those Rybelsus doses, and the two products should never be conflated.

Who moves to which dose, and when

Eligibility for Wegovy under its UK licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. BMI alone is never sufficient, a prescriber reviews the whole clinical picture before and at every repeat.

NICE's guidance on semaglutide (TA875) recommends it for a maximum of two years within a specialist weight management service; NHS access carries strict criteria and long waiting lists in many areas. Private prescribing through a regulated online pharmacy follows the licensed eligibility criteria and gives clinical review at each repeat order. If less than 5% of body weight is lost after six months on the maintenance dose, NICE recommends reconsidering whether treatment should continue. That review sits with your prescriber, not with you alone.

For anyone weighing up where Wegovy fits relative to other licensed options, our weight-loss treatment overview sets out what is currently available in the UK and how to think about the choice. A prescriber is the right person to discuss which dose trajectory suits your health profile, if you'd like that conversation, you can start a free consultation and have your answers reviewed the same day by a GPhC-registered prescriber.

A note on the 7.2 mg pen timeline

When the MHRA approved the dedicated 7.2 mg pen on 14 April 2026 it was a genuine landmark: a single pre-set pen, no multi-pen workaround, for adults who have titrated through the standard schedule and need a higher maintenance dose. The timeline for when the 7.2 mg pen became available in the UK is something patients ask about regularly. Stock in private pharmacies has been building since the approval, but confirmation of what is dispensable sits at the consultation stage. Never assume a specific dose is in stock before a clinical review confirms it.

One practical note: whatever dose you are on, Wegovy pens need refrigeration at 2 to 8°C. Before you travel (even a long weekend) it is worth reading the storage section of your Patient Information Leaflet. Many people keep a note of the room-temperature allowance in their phone, which is a sensible habit. The exact window is set out in the SmPC; it is not something we quote here, because acting on a number from a webpage rather than your actual leaflet is a small but avoidable risk.

If you have questions about a specific dose or want to understand how different Wegovy pen formats compare, our clinical team covers this at consultation. You can also read more about the prescribers overseeing treatment at nume.