Getting a Wegovy prescription starts with confirming you meet the eligibility criteria, then seeing a healthcare provider, either in person or through a telehealth platform, who can evaluate your health history and order baseline lab work. The process is straightforward, but insurance coverage and prior authorization requirements can add extra steps that are worth understanding upfront.
Who Qualifies for Wegovy
The FDA approved Wegovy for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher. If your BMI falls between 27 and 29.9, you can still qualify as long as you have at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. These don’t need to be untreated. Even if you’re already managing one of these conditions with medication, it still counts toward eligibility.
Adolescents aged 12 and older can also be prescribed Wegovy if their BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex, which is the clinical threshold for obesity in that age group.
Certain medical conditions rule out Wegovy entirely. You cannot take it if you or a close family member has a history of medullary thyroid cancer, or if you have a condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. A prior serious allergic reaction to semaglutide (the active ingredient) also disqualifies you.
Where to Get a Prescription
Your primary care doctor is the most common starting point. A 2023 survey of healthcare professionals found that 92% of primary care physicians had actively prescribed GLP-1 weight loss medications. You don’t need a specialist referral in most cases, though obesity medicine doctors and bariatric specialists also prescribe Wegovy regularly.
Telehealth platforms are another legitimate option. Services like Ro, LifeMD, and Sesame Care connect you with licensed providers who can prescribe Wegovy after a virtual consultation. The typical process involves filling out an online questionnaire about your health history and weight loss goals, followed by a video or phone consultation with a provider. Reputable platforms will require lab work before writing a prescription, not just a questionnaire. If a service offers to prescribe without any testing or medical evaluation, that’s a red flag.
When choosing an online pharmacy, look for one that requires a valid prescription, lists a physical U.S. address and phone number, and has a licensed pharmacist available for questions.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
Whether in person or virtual, your provider will review your medical history, current medications, and weight loss efforts. They’ll calculate your BMI using your current height and weight, and they’ll screen for the contraindications mentioned above, particularly thyroid cancer history.
Most providers order blood work before or shortly after the first visit. Common baseline tests include blood sugar levels (HbA1c), a lipid panel to check cholesterol, liver function tests (since Wegovy shouldn’t be used with advanced liver disease), and kidney function markers. Some providers also check pancreatic enzymes, since the medication carries a small risk of pancreatic inflammation, along with thyroid hormone levels and a complete blood count. These labs serve double duty: they help confirm you’re a safe candidate and establish a baseline so your provider can track improvements and catch potential side effects early.
How the Dosing Ramp-Up Works
Wegovy isn’t prescribed at full strength from the start. You begin on a low dose and gradually increase over several months to reduce side effects like nausea. The starting dose is 0.25 mg once weekly, stepping up through 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 1.7 mg before reaching the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. Each step lasts about four weeks, so it takes roughly 16 to 20 weeks to reach the full dose. Your provider may slow the schedule if side effects are difficult to manage at any step.
Wegovy is also prescribed alongside dietary changes and increased physical activity. It’s not designed as a standalone treatment, and providers will typically discuss nutrition and exercise goals as part of your plan.
Navigating Insurance Coverage
Insurance is often the most complicated part of the process. Many commercial insurance plans cover Wegovy, but almost all require prior authorization, meaning your doctor needs to submit documentation proving you meet specific criteria before the pharmacy can fill the prescription.
What insurers require varies, but a typical prior authorization involves documented BMI within the past 90 days, a record of weight-related health conditions, and sometimes evidence that you’ve tried other weight management approaches first. Some plans initially authorize only four months of treatment, then require a follow-up authorization (often for six additional months) showing the medication is working. Your provider’s office usually handles the prior authorization paperwork, but it can take days to weeks to get approved, so expect some delay between your appointment and actually picking up the medication.
Medicare and Medicaid generally do not cover Wegovy for weight loss, though coverage rules are evolving. Some state Medicaid programs have begun covering it for specific indications like cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with established heart disease.
Cost Without Insurance
If your insurance doesn’t cover Wegovy or you’re paying out of pocket, the manufacturer offers a savings program with two different tracks. With commercial insurance, the savings card brings your cost down to $25 per month for a 28-day supply of injections. Without insurance, pricing runs $199 per month for the first two months at starting doses (0.25 mg or 0.5 mg), then $349 per month at higher doses. These promotional prices are available through March 2026.
Wegovy also comes in a pill form, with an out-of-pocket price of $149 per month for the lower doses through April 2026. One important catch: the savings card is not available to anyone enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or other government healthcare programs.
Supply and Pharmacy Availability
Wegovy experienced significant supply shortages through much of 2023 and 2024, but the FDA confirmed in February 2025 that the national shortage of semaglutide injection products is resolved. The manufacturer’s production capacity now meets projected national demand. That said, you may still encounter occasional localized shortages as inventory moves through the distribution chain to individual pharmacies. If your local pharmacy is out of stock, calling other nearby pharmacies or asking your provider about mail-order options can save time.