Who Can Take Wegovy? Eligibility, BMI Thresholds and What Clinicians Actually Check

The biggest misconception: if your BMI qualifies, you're automatically eligible

Most people searching this question already have a rough sense of the BMI thresholds. What surprises many is that meeting the number is the start of the assessment, not the end of it. A prescriber considers your current medical conditions, the medicines you already take, your history with weight management, and whether there are any specific contraindications that would make Wegovy unsuitable or require particular caution.

Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine, which means a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber must personally review your case. At nume, that review happens the same day you complete your consultation, a real clinician reads your answers, not software. If something in your history needs clarifying, you'll hear from us before anything is dispatched.

The practical upshot: do not assume a qualifying BMI is a green light. And do not assume a borderline BMI automatically rules you out, either. Your weight-related conditions, ethnic background, and overall health matter as much as the headline figure. For a thorough look at what can exclude someone, our page on who cannot take Wegovy covers the contraindications in detail.

BMI thresholds: what the licence and NICE guidance actually say

The licensed eligibility criteria for Wegovy sit at BMI ≥30, or BMI ≥27 with at least one weight-related comorbidity. Qualifying conditions in that second category include type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, and osteoarthritis, among others. You do not need all of them, one is sufficient alongside the lower BMI threshold.

NICE's guidance (TA875) sets somewhat stricter thresholds for NHS access and requires treatment to take place within a specialist weight management service for a maximum of two years. Private prescribing through a regulated pharmacy like nume follows the licensed criteria rather than the NHS commissioning criteria, which is why many people who do not qualify for NHS treatment are clinically eligible for a private prescription. The BMI requirements for Wegovy page breaks this down further, including how to use the NHS BMI calculator as a starting point.

For people from South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, NICE applies BMI thresholds that are 2.5 kg/m² lower, so 32.5 instead of 35 in certain NHS contexts, for instance. At the licensed level, the SmPC notes these adjustments should be considered; a prescriber will account for this during your consultation. The full eligibility breakdown for Wegovy covers how these adjustments are applied in practice.

Health conditions that change the picture, in either direction

Some conditions make Wegovy more relevant; others require careful thought or rule it out. On the side of relevance: if you have type 2 diabetes alongside obesity, semaglutide has a well-established evidence base and a dual licensed use. If you carry a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea or have been treated for high blood pressure, those conditions can themselves meet the co-morbidity threshold that brings a BMI of 27–29.9 into scope.

On the side of caution: a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is a contraindication. A history of pancreatitis requires a serious conversation with a prescriber before Wegovy is considered; the MHRA has highlighted acute pancreatitis as a known risk with GLP-1 medicines, and severe or persistent stomach pain that radiates to the back should always prompt urgent medical attention. Certain gastrointestinal conditions also warrant discussion. If you want to understand who can use semaglutide and what factors shape that decision, our dedicated page covers how these conditions are weighed up across both the injection and the tablet form.

Timing matters too. If you are planning a surgical procedure, your healthcare team and anaesthetist need to know you are on a GLP-1 medicine. And if you are thinking about starting treatment around a holiday or across a month boundary (say, ordering just before payday or ahead of a long weekend) the prescriber's review still applies; clinical suitability does not change with the calendar, but it is worth starting the process with enough lead time.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and contraception: what the guidance says

Wegovy is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or for people who are actively trying to conceive. If pregnancy occurs during treatment, it should be stopped and a prescriber contacted promptly. This is standard guidance for the class, the clinical evidence in humans during pregnancy is limited, and caution is the appropriate position.

For people using oral contraceptives alongside semaglutide, NHS guidance does not currently flag evidence that Wegovy reduces pill effectiveness in the way that tirzepatide does. That said, any concerns about contraception should be raised during your consultation; it is the kind of detail that matters and that our prescribers are used to discussing. Whether Wegovy is suitable for your specific situation is explored on a dedicated page for readers with particular circumstances.

The under-18 point is straightforward: Wegovy is not licensed for people below that age. If you are looking at options for a younger family member, that conversation starts with their GP. For adults who want to understand the full landscape of options available to them, our weight-loss treatment overview is a practical place to begin before booking a consultation.