Semaglutide Prescriptions on the NHS
Semaglutide is available on the NHS, but at the moment it’s only for those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Those that want to use Semaglutide as a treatment for weight loss will need to pay privately for a prescription, which may include an off-label prescription.
Taking Semaglutide off-label doesn’t mean that it’s dangerous, your prescriber would never write a prescription for something they think would be dangerous for you.
Semaglutide has been available on the NHS as a diabetic medicine since 2019.
Those that need to take it for diabetes in the UK currently get it for free due to a medical exemption from prescription charges.
As Semaglutide (under the brand name Wegovy) has only just been licensed for weight loss recently, it isn’t available on the NHS yet.
This means that those seeking it to lose weight have to pay for the medication themselves for now.
From many private prescribers, this can be upwards of £200 per month.
myBMI offers weight loss treatments (including GLP-1 Receptor Agonists) to those that need them to reduce their weight.
Our treatment costs start at £199 for an online consultation plus the treatment you’re prescribed, and the whole service is overseen by weight management specialists.
Our prescribers will only recommend GLP-1 Receptor Agonists to those who really need it and can take it safely.
This usually includes most people with:
- A BMI of over 30
OR - A BMI of 27 or above with a weight related health condition
AND - Have not managed to lose weight through diet and exercise alone.
It’s important to remember that your prescriber will have the final say over your treatment and will only prescribe treatments that they think are right for you.
Semaglutide (the medicine in Wegovy) works in a similar way to Liraglutide, which is the medicine used in Saxenda.
Saxenda is a weight loss treatment that is available on the NHS, but only in certain circumstances.
Those looking to get an NHS prescription for Saxenda currently have to meet all of the following criteria:
- Must have a BMI of over 35
- Must have prediabetes (non-diabetic hyperglycaemia)
- At high risk of cardiovascular disease (risk factors for this include high blood pressure and high cholesterol)
Even if you meet all of the above criteria, the wait isn’t over, your GP will have to refer you to a weight management service.
Even then, Saxenda is only available from a specialist when you reach tier 3 of their weight loss treatment scale.
Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to get hold of effective weight loss treatments on the NHS at the moment.
We’re hoping that may change within the next few years.
However, if it takes a similar path to Saxenda, we might not see Semaglutide available for weight loss on the NHS for five years or more.
Currently, the only treatments available for weight loss on the NHS are Orlistat and Saxenda (at Tier 3 weight management).
In the meantime, you might want to think about sourcing your own Semaglutide from a reputable UK prescriber.
For more information, please take a look at our treatment plans.
