Wegovy Dosage: How the Titration Schedule Works and What Shapes Your Dose

The decision you're actually making: 'Am I ready for the next dose?'

Most people arrive at this question a few weeks into treatment. The pen is working, the nausea has settled to something manageable, and the question becomes whether to stay put or step up. That moment (repeated four or five times across the titration) is genuinely the centre of the Wegovy dosage experience, and it's worth understanding what shapes the answer.

The standard UK schedule moves through five steps: 0.25 mg, then 0.5 mg, then 1.0 mg, then 1.7 mg, and finally the original maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. Each step lasts a minimum of four weeks. That rhythm isn't arbitrary. Semaglutide works partly by slowing gastric emptying, and stepping up too fast tends to produce more nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort than most people are willing to live with. Taking the four weeks gives your gut time to adapt. The NHS medicines page on semaglutide explains this titration principle clearly if you want to read the patient-level detail.

A prescriber may recommend pausing at any rung if side effects are significant. Staying at 1.0 mg for eight weeks instead of four is clinically sound, it is not a failure. What matters is that the prescriber makes that call with your specific experience in front of them, not a general rule applied blindly. If you want a visual breakdown of the schedule, our Wegovy dosage chart lays each step out side by side.

What the 7.2 mg approval changes, and who it applies to

In April 2026 the MHRA approved a dedicated single-dose 7.2 mg Wegovy pen, the highest licensed dose of semaglutide for weight management available in the UK. This followed an earlier approval of the 7.2 mg dose using three 2.4 mg pens administered weekly. The single-dose pen is simpler: one pre-set weekly injection with a built-in covered needle that locks after use.

The approval comes with clear boundaries. The 7.2 mg dose is licensed only for adults with BMI ≥30, and specifically for the weight management indication. People using Wegovy for cardiovascular risk reduction are not within scope of this higher dose. Treatment always begins at the 0.25 mg starting dose, with 7.2 mg as the eventual ceiling for those who tolerate and need it, reached through the same gradual titration. Trials at this dose reported an average weight loss of around 20.7% over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap with the results seen in tirzepatide studies. You can read more detail on how Wegovy's overall approach compares with other treatments on our Wegovy overview page.

Whether the 7.2 mg dose is right for a given patient is a prescriber decision, based on how you've tolerated lower doses, your BMI, your health history, and your goals. Specific pen availability is confirmed at consultation.

Factors that might mean your dose stays lower than the maximum

A lot of people assume the highest dose is always the target. It isn't, and understanding why changes how you think about the schedule. The maintenance dose for Wegovy has always been defined as the highest dose you can tolerate, not automatically the highest dose on the schedule. That distinction matters more than it sounds.

Some people find that 1.7 mg delivers meaningful results without the nausea that 2.4 mg brings back. Holding at 1.7 mg is a legitimate clinical position, and our page on Wegovy max dosage explains how that ceiling is determined for each person. Similarly, if you're also taking oral contraceptives, your prescriber may discuss the absorption interaction: tirzepatide (not semaglutide) is the medicine where pill absorption is most clearly affected, but it's worth raising your full medication list at consultation. For a broader look at what happens if you miss a scheduled injection, our page on forgotten Wegovy doses covers how to handle that without disrupting your schedule.

The NICE appraisal of semaglutide for weight management (NICE TA875) recommends reviewing continuation if less than 5% weight loss has occurred after six months at maintenance dose. That's a clinical benchmark worth knowing, because it frames the dosage conversation not just as 'how much' but 'for how long, and to what effect'. If you're thinking about whether Wegovy is the right fit for you at all, our weight-loss treatment overview sets out the options clearly.

How a private prescription changes the dosage process in practice

On the NHS, Wegovy is prescribed within specialist weight management services, and the titration schedule is overseen as part of a structured programme. Privately, the structure is provided by the pharmacy and prescriber you choose, which means the quality of clinical oversight varies considerably between services.

At nume, a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reviews your consultation personally before any prescription is issued, and before every repeat. No dose increases happen automatically; each step is clinically re-reviewed. That process is described in more detail on the about us page. If questions about the dosage schedule come up between reviews, our prescribing team is reachable seven days a week, the contact page has the details. Questions about cost can be found on our Wegovy pricing and access page, where we're straightforward about what's included.

The Wegovy dosage journey is gradual by design. Slow is, in most cases, steadier, and a prescriber who takes that seriously is one worth finding. If you want to discuss your specific situation, checking your eligibility is the right first step.