Is the Wegovy pill available in the UK?
Yes, on private prescription. The MHRA approved Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets for weight management on 11 June 2026. They were the UK's first GLP-1 tablet for weight loss and launched on 6 July 2026. They were not on the NHS when last reported. A second tablet, Foundayo (orforglipron), was approved on 10 August 2026.
- Wegovy, like every GLP‑1 medicine, is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. A healthcare professional must assess you before it can be prescribed.1
- To spot fake pens and illegal sellers, see Is it safe to buy Mounjaro online in the UK? The risks are in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
- Nothing here promises any result, and nothing here is for sale.
Who is the Wegovy pill licensed for?
The tablets are licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 30 with a weight-related condition.2
The dose starts at 1.5 mg once a day. It rises to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg, with at least a month at each step. People on the 2.4 mg Wegovy injection privately can switch straight to 25 mg tablets.2 Rybelsus, an older semaglutide tablet, is licensed only for type 2 diabetes in the UK.1
How do you take the Wegovy pill?
You swallow it whole on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours without food, with a sip of water, then wait 30 minutes.2
Eating or drinking sooner lowers how much of the medicine your body absorbs.2 Keep them in the blister pack, away from moisture and light; they need no special temperature.3 How these medicines work is in Guide 2.
Is the Wegovy pill on the NHS?
Not when last reported: it launched privately on 6 July 2026, and NICE had said the maker had not yet submitted it.4,5
Routine NHS access needs a recommendation from NICE first.5 It launched in 1.5, 4, 9 and 25 mg strengths, and at first some pharmacies offered only 1.5 mg and 4 mg in private programmes.4 We found no official UK list price for the tablets.
Foundayo (orforglipron), made by Lilly, was approved on 10 August 2026, first in Europe. It can be taken at any time of day, with no food or water rules. Doses run from 0.8 mg to 17.2 mg, and it is also licensed for type 2 diabetes.6
- Stomach effects are very common. Over 64 weeks, 47 in 100 people on Wegovy tablets felt sick (nausea), against 19 in 100 on a dummy pill, on the UK Wegovy tablets label.3
- Gallstones are common (1 in 10 to 1 in 100) and a swollen pancreas (acute pancreatitis) is uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000) on the same label.3
- Pregnancy. The MHRA says to stop semaglutide at least 2 months before trying for a baby.1
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- MHRA. GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. Guidance, published 5 Jun 2025, last updated 5 Feb 2026. gov.uk
- MHRA. First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK. Press release, 11 Jun 2026. gov.uk
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy tablets summary of product characteristics (UK SmPC), first authorised 11 Jun 2026, revised 06/2026, sections 4.8 and 6.4. UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- The Pharmaceutical Journal. Three-quarters of pharmacies expect surge in demand for weight-loss pill, 6 Jul 2026 ("Oral Wegovy launched on 6 July 2026… It is not currently available on the NHS"). Trade press. pharmaceutical-journal.com
- Diabetes Times. Daily Wegovy tablet approved in UK, 19 Jun 2026 ("NICE has said the company has not yet submitted the tablets for assessment"). Trade press. diabetestimes.co.uk
- MHRA. UK first in Europe to authorise orforglipron for weight management and type 2 diabetes. Press release, 10 Aug 2026. gov.uk
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. Prices are official list prices or NHS charges, never a seller's price, and we don't name or rank sellers. Figures marked as our arithmetic are worked out from those sources. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a GP, pharmacist or other qualified prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write