Prescribing Wegovy: what doctors take into account

Wegovy is a prescription-only weight loss medication. That means you must have a consultation and get a prescription from an authorised medical professional before you can begin treatment.

This is for your own safety. It means doctors can make sure that it's safe and appropriate for you to take the drug.

If you're new to Wegovy, you may wonder what kinds of questions doctors ask and whether you're likely to be approved.

That's what this guide is for. We break down the key Wegovy prescribing criteria so you know what to expect before you have your consultation.

But first, a quick refresher on Wegovy and what it does.

What is Wegovy and how does it support weight loss? 

Wegovy is a weight loss injection for people living with obesity. Taken once weekly over 52 weeks, it's clinically proven to reduce body weight by 15% on average.¹

The active ingredient (semaglutide) works in a few different ways: 

• It helps you feel full more quickly
• It helps you feel full for longer
• It stabilises blood sugar, which helps reduce snack cravings
  
  

This is a triple bullseye for weight loss, because these are some of the most common ways people struggle with traditional diets.

Why do you need a prescription for Wegovy? 

In the UK, many drugs are only accessible through a prescription from a qualified medical professional. There are two main reasons for this: 

1. It prevents people from taking medications they don't need.
2. It helps keep people safe when they do take it.
   
   

Prescription-only drugs (POMs) are regulated by the MHRA. This is the UK's main regulator for medications and healthcare products. The MHRA makes sure that drugs are available in the right dosages to the right people, and that the controls are based on medical studies. It also monitors side effects via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

What is Wegovy licensed for?

Wegovy has a specific licensed use in the UK. It is only   approved for the treatment of obesity.

There's another medication called 'Ozempic', which contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy (semaglutide). However, Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss.

The licenses differ because the clinical trials, dosages and regulatory approvals were tailored to each intended use:

• Wegovy: higher doses studied and approved for weight loss
• Ozempic: lower doses studied and approved for type 2 diabetes
  
  

What do doctors consider when prescribing Wegovy?

Your Wegovy weight loss journey starts with a medical consultation. This could be face-to-face with a doctor or online.

When you join SemaPen, you take a self-service questionnaire through the SemaPen smartphone app. You can do this in your own time, and it covers all the same ground as a traditional face-to-face consultation.

But what sorts of things will you be asked about? This isn't an exhaustive list, but we'll cover some of the most important questions and why we ask them.

Your weight and height

We ask about your weight and height because we use this to calculate your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI is an estimate of whether you're at a healthy weight.

As per MHRA prescribing criteria, Wegovy should only be prescribed to adults who are living with obesity. That means those with a BMI of 30 or greater.

A couple of quick notes:

• This 30+ BMI cutoff is lower for those from certain ethnic backgrounds or those with certain weight-related health conditions – more on that later.
• The NHS uses different criteria. To access Wegovy on the NHS, you must have a BMI of at least 35 and a weight-related health condition.²
  
  

You can check your BMI using the BMI calculatoron the SemaPen homepage.

Your ethnic background

We ask about your ethnic background because people from certain backgrounds are more at risk of obesity-related health concerns.

If you're from one of these ethnic backgrounds, you may be eligible for a private Wegovy prescription at a BMI of 27.5 or greater.

Your assigned sex at birth

Biological sex can affect how your body responds to medication and treatment. We ask about it because it helps us make the best clinical decisions for your safety and care.

Your medical history and current health conditions

We ask about your medical history and current conditions for three reasons:

1. Having certain medical conditions might make it less safe for you to take Wegovy. For instance, while the risk is thought to be very low, pancreatitis is listed as a possible side effect of the medication.³ Out of an abundance of caution, we don't prescribe Wegovy to anyone who has had pancreatitis.
2. People with certain weight-related health conditions can access Wegovy at a lower BMI. This is to make sure that the people who could most benefit from the drug can access it. If you have one of these weight-related health conditions, you may be able to access Wegovy at a BMI of 27 or greater.
3. Knowing your health helps us provide better clinical support. With SemaPen, you get expert support through every step of your weight loss journey. Having a full picture of your health means we can provide truly tailored care and advice.
   
   

What medications you're taking

We ask about medications you're taking right now. This is so we can be sure it's safe for you to take Wegovy alongside them, and so we can provide the proper clinical supervision.

That's because Wegovy interacts with certain other medications. Taking them together could result in unpleasant or even dangerous side effects.

These medications include:

• Insulin medications
• Sulphonylureas (such as gliclazide and glipizide)
• DDP4 inhibitors
• Other weight loss and diabetes medications that work similarly to Wegovy
  
  

It doesn't necessarily mean you can't use Wegovy if you're taking a medication that interacts with it. However, you might have to adjust your dose or switch to a safer alternative.

Ready to find out if you're eligible?

With SemaPen, it's quick and easy to find out if you're eligible to start treatment with Wegovy. All you have to do is download the SemaPen app to your smartphone and take our simple, self-service consultation.

Our weight loss experts will review your answers and recommend the best treatment option for you. That might be a weight loss injection, such as Wegovy or Mounjaro, or our drug-free SemaHealth diet programme.

Along the way, you'll get expert, tailored advice to help you stay healthy and achieve your weight loss goals. You'll also enjoy a host of weight loss tools through the SemaPen app, including:

• A comprehensive health dashboard with weight tracking and more.
• A set of smart scales that link directly to the app.
• The SemaPen Academy – a complete health and nutrition course that teaches you good lifelong habits.
• Customer support chats through the app, plus access to clinical support by email whenever you need it.
  
  

Want to find out if you can take Wegovy? When you take your digital consultation in the SemaPen app, we'll let you know right away if you're eligible for a prescription.

Sources

1. Wilding, J.P.H. et al. (2021) "Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity" The New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

2. Department of Health and Social Care (2023) Accessing Wegovy for weight loss: Everything you need to know [blog post]. Retrieved from https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/04/accessing-wegovy-for-weight-loss-everything-you-need-to-know/

3. novoMEDLINK (n.d.) Efficacy & Safety. Retrieved from https://www.novomedlink.com/obesity/products/treatments/wegovy/efficacy-safety/safety-profile.html

This article was reviewed and approved by Sarah Abdula, Specialist Dietitian, on 3 February 2026.