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Someone in my family might need a GLP-1. How do I help?

For anyone helping a parent, partner or relative decide, and then supporting them through it.

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 12 Oct 20265 min read16 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

Read the basics together, talk without blame, and go to the appointment with them if they'd like you there. Weight is driven by genes and surroundings, not just willpower. GLP-1 medicines are usually long-term. For type 2 diabetes, Ozempic or Trulicity may be on the PBS; for weight, there's no subsidy and you pay the full price every month. Older parents need extra care with fluids, low sugar and muscle.

Read this page first. It covers how to bring it up, who pays, what to watch for in an older parent and how to prepare for the appointment. At the end, three guides take you further, in order.
On this page
  1. Talking without shame
  2. Who pays, and for how long
  3. An older parent
  4. Going to the appointment
  5. The risks, in brief
  6. What to read next
  7. Sources

How do I bring it up without shame?

Talk about health and how they feel, not how they look. And drop the blame.

A group of international experts agreed that obesity is not a choice.1 It comes mainly from genes and the world around us.1

Shame also backfires. People who fear being judged are less likely to seek care.1 Australian GP guidance makes the same point about weight bias in health care.2

  • Avoid words like "lazy" or "greedy", even as a joke. The experts' pledge rejects them.1
  • Start from what they care about: energy, knees, sugar levels, keeping up with grandchildren.
  • Ask "How can I help?" rather than telling them what to do.
  • Ask before you share their health with other relatives.

Who pays, and for how long?

Plan for a cost that may run for years, not weeks.

Most of the weight usually returns after stopping. In a follow-up of the main semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) trial, people regained about two-thirds of it within a year of stopping.3 So agree early who pays, and for how long.

  • For type 2 diabetes: Ozempic or Trulicity can be on the PBS if they meet the criteria. They pay the PBS co-payment, less with a concession card, and the safety net limits the yearly total.4,5
  • For weight: no GLP-1 is on the PBS, so it's a private script at the pharmacy's full price, every month.6 Higher doses usually cost more.2 Their pharmacist can tell you what a script costs.
  • Private health insurance: some extras policies pay part of a non-PBS script, within limits; some exclude weight-loss medicines. Ask the fund in writing.7,8

Guide 6 explains who pays in more detail.

What should I watch for in an older parent?

Older adults do take these medicines. Watch three things closely: fluids, low sugar and muscle.

In the main Ozempic trials, 744 people, about 1 in 4 of those taking part, were 65 or older. No overall differences in safety or effect were seen between older and younger people.9

  • Fluids. Vomiting or diarrhoea can dry them out and harm the kidneys.9 Check they're drinking enough, especially in hot weather or when they're unwell.
  • Low sugar. If they take insulin or a sulfonylurea (an older diabetes tablet such as gliclazide), the risk of a hypo (low blood sugar) goes up.9 Learn the signs: dizziness, sweating, shakiness, confusion.9
  • Muscle. Part of the weight lost is lean mass (everything that isn't fat, including muscle), and older age raises the risk of muscle loss (sarcopenia).10 The Australian algorithm says the main goal for older adults is to keep them strong and independent, not a set number on the scales.2 Ask the doctor about protein and safe exercise.
  • Other tablets. These medicines slow the stomach, which can change how other tablets are absorbed.9 Keep a full list of everything they take.
  • Heat. Pens in use must stay below 30 °C, so keep them out of hot cars and away from summer sun.11,12

Should I go to the appointment with them?

If they'd like you there, yes. A second pair of ears helps, and you'll both hear the same advice.

Start with their GP. All GLP-1 medicines are prescription-only, and a GP can prescribe them.13 If they use an online doctor, the Medical Board expects a real-time consultation by video or phone, not a questionnaire alone.14 Never buy from social media, or "GLP-1" drops or patches: the TGA found no GLP-1 in them.15

Take with you

  • A list of all their medicines, including herbal remedies and anything bought online
  • Recent results: HbA1c, kidney tests, blood pressure readings
  • "Which medicine and dose, and why this one?"
  • "Which side effects should we call you about?"
  • "How will we know it's working, and when do we review?"
  • "Would this be on the PBS, or a private script? What will each month cost?"

Our doctor visit checklist helps you prepare together.

If they have diabetesShould they consider it?Before you see a GP

What to read next, in order

These three guides go deeper. Each one ends with a link to the next, so you can read them one after another.

  1. 1Weight and health: what BMI and waist numbers meanGuide 1 of 9UnderstandUnderstand their numbers first: BMI, waist, and the lower cut-offs for Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  2. 2Should I consider a GLP-1? And when not toGuide 4 of 9DecideWho prescribers may consider for a GLP-1, and the reasons not to, including age and kidneys.
  3. 3Side effects and risksGuide 5 of 9DecideKnow the side effects together, so you both know which ones need help fast.
Was this page easy to understand?

Sources

  1. Rubino F et al. Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity. Nature Medicine, 2020;26:485–497. Statements 6.2 and 10.3, and Box 1. Declared interests: 15 of 36 authors declare ties to Novo Nordisk and 2 to Eli Lilly. DOI
  2. Markovic TP, Proietto J, Dixon JB et al. The Australian Obesity Management Algorithm. Australian Diabetes Society, with ANZOS, ANZMOSS and the RACGP, July 2024. diabetessociety.com.au
  3. Wilding JPH et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022;24(8):1553–1564. 327 people followed for a year after stopping. DOI
  4. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Type 2 diabetes mellitus pharmacotherapy diagram, at 1 December 2024 (GLP-1 RA subsidised after an SGLT2 inhibitor is contraindicated, not tolerated or not effective, with HbA1c above 7% on metformin, a sulfonylurea or insulin). pbs.gov.au
  5. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. What are the current patient fees and charges? (the co-payment set from 1 January 2026, lower with a concession card, and the safety net). pbs.gov.au
  6. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Medicine status: semaglutide (Wegovy), document 1460 ("Medicine listed on PBS: Has not yet occurred"), updated 23 July 2026. pbs.gov.au
  7. HIF. Can you claim for weight loss drugs on your extras cover? ("Benefits can only be paid on non-PBS prescription items"; "The cost of the item must exceed the current PBS co-payment"). 30 July 2026. Insurer article. hif.com.au
  8. The Nightly. Private health insurer HBF tightens belt on weight-loss drug coverage (Saxenda, Contrave, Duromine, Wegovy and compounded weight-loss medicines dropped from 9 July 2024). 1 May 2024. News report. thenightly.com.au
  9. Novo Nordisk. Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, US prescribing information and Medication Guide, revised May 2026. Sections 4, 5.3, 5.5, 5.6, 7.2, 8.5. (US label, not the Australian one.) PDF
  10. Neeland IJ, Linge J, Birkenfeld AL. Changes in lean body mass with glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies and mitigation strategies. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2024;26 Suppl 4:16–27. DOI
  11. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) Australian Product Information, revised 22 June 2026 (sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8, 6.4). medsinfo.com.au
  12. Eli Lilly. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) Australian Product Information, version A14.0, October 2026 (sections 4.1, 4.5, 4.6, 6.4). medsinfo.com.au
  13. Healthdirect Australia. Wegovy: medicine information ("Schedule 4: Prescription Only Medicine"). healthdirect.gov.au
  14. Medical Board of Australia. Guidelines: Telehealth consultations with patients, in effect 1 September 2023 ("Prescribing … without a real-time direct consultation, whether in-person, via video or telephone, is not good practice and is not supported by the Board"). medicalboard.gov.au
  15. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Counterfeit weight loss products claiming to contain GLP-1 (laboratory testing found "no GLP-1 or any GLP-1 analogues"). Safety advisory, 2 March 2026. tga.gov.au
  16. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) US prescribing information, revised June 2026. Sections 1, 2.2, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, 8.3, 17. (US label, not the Australian one.) PDF

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due Jan 2027

How this page was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above: Australian product information, Australian guidance, TGA and PBS documents, and published trials. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to your GP or another qualified prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. In an emergency, call triple zero (000). For health advice any time, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222. Report suspected side effects to the TGA. How we write