Wegovy Prescription Guidelines: What the Rules Actually Mean for You

What the licensing criteria actually say, and where the decision starts

The licensed prescribing criteria for Wegovy in the UK set a starting point, not a finishing line. Adults with a BMI of 30 or above are within the licensed indication. So are adults with a BMI between 27 and 29.9, provided they have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, raised cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnoea. For some ethnic backgrounds, UK guidance reduces those thresholds by 2.5 kg/m², so the numbers to keep in mind may be slightly lower.

What this means in practice is that the BMI figure opens the door to a conversation; it does not walk you through it. A prescriber will also look at your current medicines, your medical history, and whether any contraindications apply, certain thyroid conditions, a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, and a history of pancreatitis are among the factors that require careful discussion. The NHS semaglutide medicines page lists the main cautions clearly, and it is worth reading before you start any assessment.

It is also worth knowing that Wegovy is distinct from Ozempic, which contains the same active ingredient but is licensed for type 2 diabetes rather than weight management. A prescription for weight loss must be for Wegovy specifically, and our Wegovy prescription page walks through exactly what that process involves and what to expect at each stage.

How the NICE recommendation shapes NHS access, and why private prescriptions follow different rules

The decision you are probably facing is not just whether you qualify but which route to go through. That depends in part on what NICE has recommended.

Under NICE technology appraisal TA875, semaglutide is recommended for NHS use only within a specialist weight management service, for a maximum of two years, in adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of 35 or above (or around 32.5 for some ethnic backgrounds). That is a stricter threshold than the licensed indication. NHS waiting lists for those services are commonly long, and eligibility criteria vary across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Private prescriptions are different. They are written against the licensed indication rather than the NICE recommendation, meaning a prescriber working privately can lawfully prescribe Wegovy to eligible adults with a BMI from 27 upwards, provided the clinical picture supports it. The full NICE TA875 appraisal explains the NHS-specific conditions in detail if you want to read the source directly. For those exploring getting a Wegovy prescription online, the private route is what most regulated online pharmacies operate under.

One thing worth knowing: the two-year maximum is an NHS condition, not a legal cap on private prescriptions. Ongoing private prescribing is still subject to regular clinical review.

What a prescriber looks at before issuing the prescription

If you are weighing up whether to go ahead with an assessment, it helps to know what the prescriber is actually deciding. The clinical review is not a box-tick for your BMI figure. It covers whether Wegovy is the right medicine for your situation, whether anything in your health history makes it unsuitable, what other medicines you take and whether any interactions matter, and what monitoring should look like once you start.

For women using oral contraceptives, there is one specific point worth flagging early. NHS guidance notes that because GLP-1 medicines can slow how quickly your stomach empties, pill absorption may be affected during the first four weeks on Wegovy and after dose increases. A prescriber will want to know this so they can advise accordingly, usually adding a non-oral method of contraception during those periods.

If you are considering how to obtain a Wegovy prescription through a private service, the assessment process at a regulated pharmacy will cover all of this. At nume, every consultation is personally read by a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber, a real clinician, the same day. Identity and weight are verified before any prescription is issued. There is no clinical shortcut, and there should not be.

You can learn more about how we approach this on the about us page, or read about weight-loss treatment options more broadly if you are still deciding which medicine to explore.

Costs, transparency, and what to check before choosing a provider

If you have been researching Wegovy, you will already know that private prescription costs vary noticeably between providers. Eli Lilly's September 2025 list-price increase for tirzepatide changed the market broadly, and Wegovy pricing has its own variation by dose and provider, typically ranging from around £149 to £375 per month depending on strength and where you go. The Wegovy price comparison page sets out the context in more detail.

We will be honest with you: some clinics advertise low headline prices that do not include consultation fees, prescription charges, or delivery. Others lock you into subscriptions that auto-renew regardless of whether your prescriber has reviewed your progress. We understand the frustration, this is a serious medicine, and the pricing landscape is genuinely confusing. If you have seen products marketed without a prescription requirement, our page on non-prescription Wegovy explains why those offerings carry serious risks and what the regulations actually permit.

At nume, the price you see includes everything: the consultation, the prescription, the medicine, and free next-working-day DPD delivery. No subscription, no hidden charges, no auto-renewal. Every repeat order is reviewed clinically before it is approved. You can verify that we are a GPhC-registered pharmacy at registration number 9012878 on the GPhC register. Worth checking.

For anyone who has been offered Wegovy at a price well below the typical market range, or from a seller who does not ask for a prescription, the MHRA has issued clear warnings about counterfeit weight-loss pens circulating online. The safest check is simple: if the pharmacy is not on the GPhC register, do not buy from it. If you are ready to take the next step, our Wegovy treatment page explains how we work, and you can speak to our prescribers through a free consultation.