What is Wegovy?

Wegovy® (semaglutide) is an injectable weight loss drug for people with a BMI over 30. It’s also available for people with a BMI over 27 with additional weight-related health concerns, like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and raised cholesterol.

If you have Type 2 diabetes and a BMI less than 27, we can’t prescribe you Wegovy for weight loss.

How does Wegovy work?

Wegovy® acts similar to a natural hormone in the gut that helps to control your appetite and make you feel fuller.

How to use Wegovy

Wegovy® is an injectable medication that comes in a pre-filled pen. It needs to be used once weekly, on the same day. The pen itself is simple to use and the needles are very small, so it’s relatively pain-free and easy to get used to.

Wegovy® can be injected in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm at any time during the day, with or without food. It’s recommended that you use it around the same time each week — this will regulate the medication’s effectiveness. 

You’ll receive clear instructions with your first order, and the Wegovy® website has lots of useful information too.

This helpful video has more information about how to use Wegovy 

How to calculate your dosage

Your treatment starts at a low dose and then increases every four weeks. When you first start using Wegovy®, the starting dose is 0.25 mg, once a week, for four weeks. The dose will then be increased after every four weeks until you reach the recommended dose of 2.4mg a week.

This chart shows how your dosage will increase over five months: 

Once you have been on treatment for around six months, we’ll review your weight to see how much you’ve lost in that time. For us to continue prescribing Wegovy® to you, you’ll need to have lost around 5% of your initial body weight and submit your results when we check in with you.

Wegovy® is one of the most effective weight loss treatments available. Studies have shown over 85% of people using it have lost weight. Two thirds of participants lost more than 10% of their body weight, and nearly one third of people lost more than 20%. Users, on average, lost more than 15kg.

First time orders

When you order Wegovy® for the first time, we’ll provide you with the lowest dose pen, that contains 4 doses of Wegovy, enough for your first 28 days treatment. It's important to store it in a refrigerator between 2–8°C. Each box of Wegovy® comes with 4 needles, one for each weekly dose. You will also receive:

• A sharps bin
• An instruction leaflet
• Extra tips that can help you to lose weight

To get started, complete a consultation for an injectable weight loss pen and select the starter pack.

With each subsequent order, you will receive the next pen and 4 needles.

How to re-order Wegovy

When you’ve been using Wegovy® for 3 weeks, it’s time to think about ordering your next pen from us. At this time, we’ll send you a reminder to log on and complete a weight loss consultation. 

If you’re responding well to treatment, we’ll prescribe and send you a further pen and 4 needles in a temperature-controlled delivery packaging. It’s important to store these in a refrigerator between 2–8°C. This pack will last you 28 days. As you use the last dose in each pen, remember to return to MedExpress to reorder supplies so you can continue treatment uninterrupted.

Once you’ve been taking Wegovy® for around 6 months, we’ll need to reassess your weight to make sure we can continue to prescribe to you.

Your health and well-being are our top priority, so please reach out to theMedExpress clinical team if you have any concerns while taking Wegovy.

Where to dispose needles

You’ll receive a sharps bin with your first order. This is a special waste bin that’s used to store sharps material, like needles, until it can be safely disposed of. When full, your sharps bin can be collected for disposal by your local council. Once you’ve started treatment, you’ll be able to purchase further sharps bins with new orders. 

About your Wegovy delivery

Once in use, the shelf life of Wegovy® is six weeks. It should be stored under 30°C or, preferably, in a refrigerator (2–8°C). We’ll send your prescription in temperature-controlled packaging that’s designed to keep your Wegovy® at the correct temperature during delivery. Don’t freeze this medication, or use it if it has been frozen. Keep the cap on when the pen isn’t in use to protect it from light. Remove the needle after each use and use a new needle for every injection. 

Like all medicines, Wegovy® can cause side effects, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea. Not everybody experiences them, but if you do, they usually settle after a few weeks once you get used to the medication. One of the reasons for the gradual increase in medication every few weeks is to give your body the chance to tolerate the medication so that these side effects are less likely to happen or be less problematic.

Less commonly, it’s thought that Wegovy® can increase gallstone disease. Rarely, it’s possible that it can cause pancreatitis and serious allergic reactions / anaphylaxis. If you develop abdominal pain whilst taking this medication, you should seek medical advice immediately and advise that you are taking this medication. If you develop signs of an allergic reaction, such as difficulty in breathing, rash, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, then you should also seek help immediately. 

Please refer to the patient information leaflet for more information regarding side effects.

The Wegovy® pen system is very easy to use and virtually painless. However, we understand injections aren’t for everyone, so we also prescribe weight loss treatments in tablet form.