The GLP Guidebook blog
PBS decisions, TGA warnings and plain-English explainers on GLP‑1 medicines in Australia. Every fact has a source, and nothing here is for sale.
Posts here use TGA, PBS and Australian label sources, and 000 for emergencies. We show no medicine prices and never name or link to a seller.
PBS and access
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Is Wegovy on the PBS? Who the proposed listing covers, and why it still isn’t listed
Not yet. In November 2025 the PBAC recommended Wegovy for one group.
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Is Mounjaro on the PBS? Why Lilly said no, and what it means for diabetes and weight loss
No. The PBAC recommended Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes in March 2026, on Lilly’s fourth try.
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What BMI cut-offs apply to Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?
Australian obesity guidance treats a BMI of 27.5 as the start of obesity for Asian people, not 30, and recommends the same lower lines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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The Ozempic shortage in Australia, 2022 to 2025: what happened, and is supply back?
Ozempic (semaglutide) was in short supply in Australia from April 2022.
Prices and costs
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What do GLP-1 medicines cost in Australia? PBS scripts, private scripts and the costs around them
It depends on the script. A PBS script costs you a capped co-payment, and the government pays the rest.
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Can private health insurance pay for Wegovy or Mounjaro? How extras pharmacy benefits work
Sometimes, and only in part. Extras pharmacy benefits may pay toward a non-PBS private script, above the PBS co-payment and up to a limit per item and per year.
Medicines
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Is the Wegovy pill or orforglipron available in Australia?
Not yet. Neither tablet is on the ARTG, the register of medicines approved in Australia.
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What is Wegovy 7.2 mg in Australia, and how does it compare with 2.4 mg?
The Australian Wegovy label allows a 7.2 mg weekly dose, given as three 2.4 mg injections, for adults who started with a BMI of 30 or more, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg.
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Wegovy and heart disease: what did the SELECT trial show, and is it on the PBS?
Since December 2024, Wegovy has been approved in Australia to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart death in adults with heart or blood vessel disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no diabetes.
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Mounjaro for sleep apnoea: what did the TGA approve in Australia?
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is approved in Australia to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity, reported in June 2025.
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Wegovy for fatty liver disease (MASH): what does Australia's provisional approval mean?
Wegovy (semaglutide) has provisional TGA approval to treat MASH, a fatty liver disease with inflammation, in adults with moderate to advanced liver scarring but no cirrhosis.
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Saxenda has been discontinued in Australia: what replaced it?
Novo Nordisk stopped selling Saxenda (liraglutide) in Australia after December 2025, saying it was focusing on Wegovy.
Side effects and safety
Diabetes
Daily life
Buying safely and the rules
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Can you get a Mounjaro or Wegovy script online in Australia? The real-time consult rule, Medicare and red flags
Yes, by telehealth. But the Medical Board does not support prescribing without a real-time consult, in person, by video or by phone.
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“GLP-1” drops, patches and peptides: what did the TGA find inside them?
Nothing that works like a GLP-1 medicine. In March 2026 the TGA tested 10 imported products sold as GLP-1 drops, oral liquids and a microneedle patch.
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Is retatrutide available in Australia? Trials only, and a fake that held 8 times the semaglutide dose
No. Retatrutide is still in clinical trials and has not been approved by the TGA or any comparable regulator.
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Why were compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide banned in Australia?
Since 1 October 2024, Australian pharmacists may not compound (make up their own version of) any GLP-1 medicine, in any form.
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New here? Start with the 9 guides
- 01Weight, BMI and ethnicity in AustraliaUnderstand
- 02What GLP‑1 medicines doUnderstand
- 03Your options, and where medicines fitDecide
- 04Should I consider a GLP‑1?Decide
- 05Side effects and risksDecide
- 06Prescriptions, the PBS and the medicinesDo it safely
- 07Choosing a provider safelyDo it safely
- 08Life on a GLP‑1Live with it
- 09Stopping and the long termLive with it
The monthly Australia update
PBS decisions, TGA approvals and safety alerts, once a month.
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