Wegovy weight loss pill now available privately from pharmacies and online

The Wegovy weight loss tablet (active ingredient semaglutide) is now available to purchase privately from high street pharmacies and online prescribing services, following approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 11 June 2026.

It is the UK’s first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet licensed for weight management and may be prescribed to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, or to those with a BMI between 27 and 30 who have at least one weight-related comorbidity.

The availability of an oral formulation may provide an alternative for patients who are unable or unwilling to use injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The starting dose for the semaglutide tablet is 1.5 mg once daily, increasing to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg with a minimum duration of one month at each dose level. Patients currently receiving once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg injections may be switched directly to semaglutide 25 mg tablets once daily.

Whilst the tablet is approved for use in the UK, it is not available currently via the NHS. As with all new treatments, decisions on NHS use will follow established processes, including an evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Read the MHRA announcement here.

And BBC coverage here.

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