Getting Wegovy (semaglutide) requires a prescription, and the process involves meeting specific medical criteria, finding a prescribing provider, and navigating insurance coverage or out-of-pocket costs. The medication is FDA-approved for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health condition like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Here’s what the full process looks like from start to finish.
Who Qualifies for Wegovy
Wegovy isn’t available to anyone who simply wants to lose a few pounds. The FDA sets clear eligibility thresholds based on body mass index. Adults qualify if they have obesity (BMI of 30 or above) or if they have overweight (BMI between 27 and 29.9) along with at least one related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease.
For younger patients, Wegovy is approved for those aged 12 and older who have obesity, defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex. This approval was based on a clinical trial involving 201 adolescents over 68 weeks.
Your provider will also screen for conditions that rule out Wegovy entirely. A personal or family history of a rare type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma is a key disqualifier. So is a history of a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide.
Where to Get a Prescription
You have two main routes: an in-person visit or a telehealth consultation. Your primary care doctor can prescribe Wegovy, and so can specialists in endocrinology, obesity medicine, or cardiology. If your doctor isn’t comfortable prescribing it, Novo Nordisk (Wegovy’s manufacturer) partners with Healthgrades to help patients find doctors who specialize in weight management.
Telehealth has become one of the most popular ways to start the process. Several platforms now offer GLP-1 consultations, each with slightly different intake steps:
- Ro Body: You complete an online visit, then a provider reviews your information and schedules a deeper consultation.
- Noom Med: Starts with an online quiz. If you’re a good fit, you’re paired with a provider and may need lab work before your appointment.
- LifeMD: You fill out a health questionnaire, get matched with a provider, and complete lab testing including a metabolic panel.
- PlushCare: You book directly with a board-certified provider to discuss your medical history, lifestyle, and goals.
- Calibrate: Involves an eligibility quiz, health intake form, coaching session, and blood work at a local lab before you see a medical professional.
- Sesame Care: You choose a provider and schedule a virtual appointment to discuss contraindications and whether a GLP-1 medication is appropriate.
- Amazon Pharmacy: If you don’t already have a prescription, you can speak with a doctor through their platform who can send one directly to the pharmacy.
Regardless of the platform, expect to share your full medical history, current medications, and weight-related health conditions. Some services require blood work before they’ll write a prescription.
What the Dosing Schedule Looks Like
Wegovy isn’t prescribed at full strength from day one. You’ll follow a gradual dose increase over about four months to reduce side effects, particularly nausea and other digestive issues. The medication comes as a once-weekly injection using a prefilled pen.
The standard schedule works like this: you start at the lowest dose for the first four weeks, then move up every four weeks. Weeks 1 through 4 are at 0.25 mg, weeks 5 through 8 at 0.5 mg, weeks 9 through 12 at 1 mg, and weeks 13 through 16 at 1.7 mg. From week 17 onward, adults typically move to the full maintenance dose of 2.4 mg, though some stay at 1.7 mg. For adolescents, the maintenance dose is 2.4 mg.
If you experience significant side effects at any step, your provider can delay the next increase by four weeks. This flexibility is built into the prescribing guidelines, so don’t hesitate to speak up if a dose bump hits you hard.
Dealing With Insurance and Prior Authorization
This is often the most frustrating part of getting Wegovy. Many insurance plans cover it, but almost all require prior authorization, meaning your doctor has to submit documentation proving you meet specific clinical criteria before the insurer will approve payment.
What insurers typically want to see varies by the reason for the prescription. UnitedHealthcare, for example, has detailed requirements depending on whether Wegovy is being prescribed for cardiovascular risk reduction or liver disease. For cardiovascular use, they require documentation of a BMI of 27 or higher, established heart disease (such as a prior heart attack or stroke), and that the patient is already taking medications like statins and blood pressure drugs. The patient must also be combining the medication with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
For general weight management coverage, requirements vary widely between insurers. Some plans exclude weight loss medications entirely. Others cover them but demand proof that you’ve tried diet and exercise programs first, sometimes for a documented period of three to six months. Your provider’s office usually handles the prior authorization paperwork, but it can take days to weeks to get a decision. If you’re denied, you have the right to appeal.
What Wegovy Costs
The retail price of Wegovy is about $1,349 per month without insurance. That’s a significant barrier for many people, but there are ways to bring the cost down substantially.
Novo Nordisk offers a savings program that can reduce your out-of-pocket cost to as little as $25 per month if you have eligible commercial insurance. This copay card works alongside your insurance plan’s coverage to minimize what you pay at the pharmacy. The card doesn’t work with government insurance programs like Medicare or Medicaid.
If you don’t have insurance coverage at all, the out-of-pocket cost will be much higher. Some telehealth platforms bundle the cost of the medication with their program fees, and pricing can vary. It’s worth comparing across platforms and pharmacies, as prices aren’t always uniform.
Current Availability
Wegovy experienced significant supply shortages in 2023 and 2024, making it difficult for even patients with prescriptions to fill them. The FDA has since determined that the semaglutide injection shortage is resolved. Novo Nordisk has reported that all five pen strengths (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg) are available. That said, localized shortages can still pop up at individual pharmacies, so if your usual pharmacy is out of stock, calling around or using a mail-order pharmacy may help.
Why to Avoid Compounded Versions
With high demand and high prices, compounded semaglutide has flooded the market through online sellers and some compounding pharmacies. These products are not FDA-approved, meaning no federal agency has reviewed them for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they reach you.
The risks are real and well-documented. As of July 2025, the FDA has received 605 reports of adverse events linked to compounded semaglutide. The problems include dosing errors that have led to hospitalizations, with patients or even healthcare providers miscalculating how much to inject from multi-dose vials. Some compounded products have arrived warm or without proper refrigeration, which can degrade the medication. The FDA has also identified outright fraudulent products with fake pharmacy names on the labels.
Another concern is that some compounders use salt forms of semaglutide (like semaglutide sodium or semaglutide acetate) that are chemically different from the active ingredient in Wegovy. The FDA has no data confirming these alternatives behave the same way in the body. Some compounders have also prescribed doses higher than the approved label or escalated doses faster than the standard schedule, both of which increase the risk of serious side effects.