Pharmacies are “bracing themselves” for an influx of patients seeking weight loss drugs as the Wegovy pill becomes available.
The Wegovy tablet, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, became the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss to be approved by the UK’s medicines regulator last month.
The starting dose is 1.5mg, gradually increasing to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg, with patients required to remain on each dose level for at least a month before progressing.
From Monday, the initial 1.5mg and 4mg doses will be accessible to eligible patients through weight management programmes in select pharmacies.
A recent survey conducted by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) among 310 pharmacies revealed that 76 per cent expect to start a significant number of new eligible patients on the pill in the coming months.
Olivier Picard, chairman of the NPA, said: “This is a significant day and pharmacies are bracing themselves for a surge in demand for this new form of weight loss treatment. This is particularly significant for patients who cannot or do not want to take an injectable medicine.
“The NHS rollout remains extremely slow and community pharmacy is ready to support a wider rollout, which will help eligible patients access treatment safely and help mitigate the impact of obesity on the NHS.”
Source: The Independent, 6 July 2026
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