How to Get a Wegovy Prescription: What to Know

Key Takeaways

To qualify for a Wegovy prescription, you must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or higher or a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m² or higher with at least one weight-related medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Certain weight loss medications are approved to use in children with BMI at 95^th percentile or greater standardized for age and sex.
Private insurance companies are not required to cover weight loss drugs. Insurance coverage for Wegovy will, therefore, depend on your specific health insurance plan.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a prescription weight loss medication that may help you lose more body weight than is possible with diet and exercise alone. But not everyone qualifies for Wegovy.

Please continue reading to find out how to get a Wegovy prescription for chronic weight management.

How to get your doctor to prescribe Wegovy for weight loss?

Wegovy is a prescription drug. Its use must be authorized by a licensed healthcare provider.

You cannot obtain a Wegovy prescription online or at your local pharmacy without a prescription from a healthcare provider.

You can get your doctor to prescribe Wegovy as part of a comprehensive weight loss program. Weight loss medications such as Wegovy work best when used with lifestyle interventions such as a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased exercise.

Your healthcare professional may prescribe Wegovy to help you in your weight loss journey if:

You have been unsuccessful in losing weight with diet and exercise alone.
You meet the eligibility criteria for a weight loss drug such as Wegovy (see below).
You do not have contraindications to Wegovy, such as a personal or family history of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), or serious allergic reactions to Wegovy in the past. Wegovy (semaglutide) can also increase your risk of medical conditions such as acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, low blood sugar, diabetic retinopathy complications, kidney injury, increase in heart rate, and suicidal thinking and behavior. Give your doctor a complete medical history before starting Wegovy for weight loss.

Why is there an ongoing drug shortage of Wegovy and Ozempic?

While drug shortages are an ongoing issue for many types of medications, the growing popularity of weight loss drugs has made it difficult for diabetes patients to access the medication they need.

The continuing drug shortage of Wegovy and Ozempic has made headlines and created opportunities for the selling of fake products.

Fake Ozempic has been found in the U.S. and Europe, containing insulin instead of semaglutide, leading to dangerous complications requiring hospitalization.

Purchasing Ozempic or Wegovy from illegitimate sources can cause serious health complications, financial loss, or worse.

If you are already on Wegovy or Ozempic and are having problems accessing them, your doctor will recommend the best course of action with the ongoing shortage.

What body weight qualifies for Wegovy?

Eligibility criteria for Wegovy depends not only on body weight but also on body mass index (BMI), which is your weight in kilograms or pounds divided by the square of your height in meters or feet.

What are the requirements to qualify for Wegovy?

The requirements to qualify for Wegovy are:

A body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher.
A body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or higher with at least one weight-related medical condition. Examples of weight-related medical problems include diabetes (high blood sugar), high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Therefore, if you are 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 210 pounds, your BMI is 31, and you would qualify for Wegovy even if you don’t have a weight-related condition. On the other hand, if you are 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 190 pounds, your BMI is 28.1, and you would qualify for Wegovy if you have weight-related health problems.

Certain weight loss medications are approved to be used in children with BMI at 95^th percentile or greater, standardized for age and sex. Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) are approved for use in children as young as 12 years old. Imcivree (setmelanotide) can be used in children as young as 6 years old.

Will insurance companies pay for Wegovy?

Wegovy is a relatively new weight loss drug. Private insurance companies are not required to cover weight loss drugs. Insurance coverage for Wegovy will, therefore, depend on your specific health insurance plan.

How much does a one-month supply of Wegovy cost?

The list price for Wegovy is $1,349 for a one-month supply. Remember, Wegovy is for long-term weight management. It is not uncommon to regain the weight lost after you stop taking Wegovy. Therefore, to keep the weight off, you will likely have to remain on Wegovy long-term. The medication cost can add up if your insurance provider does not cover Wegovy. At the present time, there is no lower-cost generic available.

What if my insurance doesn’t cover an injectable prescription medication for weight loss?

If you don’t have health insurance coverage for Wegovy, there are a few options to make it more affordable:

A free BuzzRx Wegovy discount coupon can help you save up to 80% on the list price of the medicine.
You may qualify for the manufacturer’s WeGoTogether program, which is designed to help people move forward in their weight management journey by taking Wegovy. This program can help you save $225 on a 28-day supply if you have insurance coverage or up to $500 for a 28-day supply if you don’t have insurance coverage. You are not eligible for these savings if you have government-affiliated insurance plans such as Medicare or Medicaid.
Some weight loss programs offer online prescriptions for Wegovy. They include evaluations by healthcare professionals to assess your eligibility to take Wegovy for weight loss.

What is the weight loss medication Wegovy?

Wegovy is a once-weekly injectable prescription medication that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management in obese and overweight individuals who meet certain criteria.

It contains the active ingredient (generic drug) semaglutide. Semaglutide was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and is sold under the brand name Ozempic for this purpose.

This medication is a glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It mimics the natural hormone GLP-1, which causes the pancreas to secrete more insulin. It was discovered that semaglutide also delays the emptying of stomach contents into the intestines. This makes you feel full faster and decreases appetite, thereby leading to reduced caloric intake and weight loss. Learn more about how prescription weight loss medications work.

Note: Semaglutide is FDA-approved under the brand name Wegovy to treat obesity and under the brand name Ozempic to treat diabetes. These two medications contain the same active ingredient but are dosed differently and are available under different strengths. Learn more about Ozempic for weight loss.

How fast do you lose weight on Wegovy?

You may notice some weight loss in the first 4 weeks of treatment with Wegovy (semaglutide). However, your weight loss doctor will start you on a lower dose of the medication and gradually increase the dose, over a period of 16-20 weeks, to a maintenance dose of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once a week. This is to reduce gastrointestinal side effects. Therefore, you may not notice substantial weight loss until you have been on Wegovy for several months. Again, Wegovy works best with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

How much weight do you lose on Wegovy?

Clinical trials have shown that adults with obesity or excess weight lose an average of 15% of their baseline body weight (35 lbs if the initial body weight is 232 lbs) after taking Wegovy (semaglutide) for 68 weeks along with a healthy diet and exercise plan.

What are the most common side effects of Wegovy?

The most common side effects of Wegovy include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, upset stomach, distension, gas, heartburn, belching, headache, fatigue, dizziness, and low blood sugar.

Your doctor will increase the dose of Wegovy slowly over a period of 16-20 weeks to give your body a chance to get used to the medicine.

Tell your healthcare professional if you have had an allergic reaction to Wegovy (semaglutide) or other weight loss drugs in the past.

Give your healthcare provider a list of all the medicines you are taking, including injectable and oral medications, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and dietary and herbal supplements. This will help prevent drug interactions between Wegovy and your other medications, which can increase the risk of serious adverse reactions.

Check out our blog to learn more about Wegovy’s uses and side effects.

Key takeaway

In summary, you should never purchase weight loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic from non-credible sources to avoid serious health problems and non-delivery schemes where drug products would not get delivered after completing payments.

Work closely with your doctor to develop the most effective and safe weight loss approach for you.

Remember that weight loss medications are not a “magic pill” for overnight weight loss and lifestyle interventions like a healthy diet and exercise are crucial regardless of the type of weight loss medication you use.

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