How to get Wegovy online

Wegovy (semaglutide) is an FDA-approved injectable medication for weight loss that has become incredibly popular since its approval in 2021. In clinical studies, people have lost between 9.6%–17.4% of their body weight after a year and a half of taking Wegovy.

As a prescription weight loss drug, you can only get Wegovy if you have a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional. This process works similarly if you get Wegovy online or in person, but buying Wegovy online can be discreet, convenient, and affordable. Read on as we explain what you need to know about how to get Wegovy online.

Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss in people with obesity and overweight. It’s also FDA-approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death in people with heart disease and obesity or overweight. To qualify for Wegovy, your healthcare provider may calculate your body mass index, or BMI. While BMI is an imperfect measure, it’s still widely used by medical professionals because it offers a quick and convenient way to define obesity and overweight, which can be helpful when prescribing medication. 

You may qualify for Wegovy for weight loss if you have a:

• BMI of 30 or higher (defined as “obesity”)

• BMI of 27 or higher (defined as “overweight”) and a weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes

Children ages 12 and up can qualify for Wegovy for weight loss if they have a BMI in the 95th percentile (or higher) for their age and sex.

If you are interested in taking Wegovy to reduce your cardiovascular risk, you may qualify if you have heart disease and either obesity or overweight.

While Wegovy is a safe and effective medication for many people, it’s not the right fit for everyone. In particular, people with certain thyroid conditions should not take Wegovy, including those with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) or a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer. People who are pregnant should not take Wegovy, and both men and women interested in conceiving a child should stop taking Wegovy at least two months before they start trying to conceive. Additionally, people with a history of pancreatitis, diabetic retinopathy, and gallbladder or kidney issues may be more likely to experience side effects when taking Wegovy. If any of the above describes you, talk to your healthcare provider about your options.

If you’re new to online health appointments, or just need a refresher, you’re in the right place. Below, we explain the step-by-step process for getting Wegovy online.

1. Find an online provider

The first step to getting Wegovy online is finding a licensed healthcare provider you can talk to about whether GLP-1 medication like Wegovy is the right fit for you.

You can ask your primary care provider (PCP) if they offer online appointments, look for a specialist in obesity medicine or another PCP using an online telehealth directory, or check with your insurance plan to see if they offer telehealth services.

Another option is to go through an online weight loss program through a company like Ro. With Ro, you fill out a brief online form to share your health history and weight loss goals. Then, a Ro-affiliated provider reviews your answers and gets back in touch to connect via a virtual appointment or to order lab tests (more on this in the next section).

2. Meet with a provider

During your virtual appointment, the healthcare provider will review your personal and family medical history. They’ll also ask questions about your lifestyle and previous efforts at losing weight. For example, they may ask questions about your:

• Weight loss goals

• Past experiences with weight loss via diet, exercise, or medication

• Current diet and exercise routine

• Sleep habits

• Stress levels

• Other health conditions

• Other prescription medications or over-the-counter supplements you are currently taking

These questions help them confirm that Wegovy is the right choice for you, as opposed to another weight loss medical or behavioral weight loss program. 

Before prescribing Wegovy, your provider may choose to order lab tests. These can help them determine if there are other factors contributing to your body weight, or if you have any underlying conditions that may increase your risk for side effects when taking Wegovy. These tests also establish a baseline you can reference throughout your weight loss journey to see how other aspects of your health are improving.

If your healthcare provider determines you are a good fit for Wegovy based on your appointment and your lab results (if applicable), they will write you a prescription. They may also refer you to another healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, to help with weight loss. 

3. Get insurance coverage (if possible)

Some health insurance plans choose to cover Wegovy, while others don’t. In general, weight loss medications are less likely to be covered by insurance plans. To check if your insurance plan covers Wegovy, you’ll want to call them directly using the phone number on your insurance card. You can also review your plan’s drug formulary, which includes a list of all the drugs covered by your plan. 

When insurance does cover Wegovy, prior authorization is typically required. The prior authorization process can vary depending on the insurance company, but it usually means your healthcare provider will need to submit paperwork confirming that you meet the eligibility criteria for Wegovy and that it is a medically necessary treatment for you. 

Once your insurance plan receives the prior authorization request, they can either choose to approve it or deny it. If they approve your prior authorization, your Wegovy will be covered, but if they decide to deny it, you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket for your prescription. However, you can also submit an appeal if your prior authorization is denied. 

If you get Wegovy online through the Ro Body program, Ro’s insurance concierge partner will work with your insurance company to help cover it.

4. Find a pharmacy

Once you have your Wegovy prescription and your insurance coverage (if applicable), it’s time to find a pharmacy to fill it. You can choose to go through your regular local pharmacy or fill your prescription online. 

Buying Wegovy online can be more convenient than picking up your prescription in person. If you want to stick with your regular pharmacy, check if they offer home delivery. Many national pharmacy chains do, either for free or for a cost. 

You can also use an online pharmacy. To make sure the pharmacy is safe and reputable, follow these tips from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The online pharmacy should:

• Have a physical address and telephone number in the U.S.

• Require a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider

• Have a licensed pharmacist on staff that you can talk to

• Be licensed with a state board of pharmacy

You can find safe online pharmacies using the FDA’s BeSafeRx website. 

5. Stay in touch with your provider for refills 

You’ll need to stay in touch with your prescribing provider to get your refills of Wegovy online, especially in the beginning as you titrate up your dosage.

Wegovy is injected on a weekly basis, on the same day each week. Wegovy comes in five dosage strengths, from 0.25 milligrams (mg) up to 2.4 mg. Initially, your healthcare provider will likely prescribe a low starting dosage of 0.25 mg. Then, over a period of weeks to months, they will gradually ramp up your dosage of Wegovy until you reach your final maintenance dosage of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg. 

During this time, you’ll need to stay in touch with them to not only get your new prescriptions for each dosage change, but also to let them know how your body is responding to Wegovy and the side effects you are experiencing. 

If you’re interested in getting Wegovy in person, here are the steps to take. You can schedule an appointment with your primary care physician or with a specialist in obesity medicine. 

During your appointment, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your weight loss goals, current lifestyle, and medical history. These questions help them determine whether Wegovy is a good treatment option for you. Before prescribing Wegovy, they will likely want to know about your:

• Current diet and eating habits

• Current level of physical activity

• History of dieting and weight loss 

• Other health conditions, including any medications or supplements you are taking

If the provider determines Wegovy is a good fit for you, they’ll write you a prescription. They may also suggest you speak to a registered dietitian who can help with weight loss alongside your medication.

Sometimes, it can be tough to find Wegovy in stock. During a Wegovy shortage, your best bet is to try different online pharmacies or call around to local pharmacies in your area. You can also use online resources like the r/WegovyWeightLoss community on Reddit, where people often share where they’ve had success finding Wegovy during a shortage. With Ro’s GLP-1 Supply Tracker, you can sign up to be notified when Wegovy is back in stock in your zip code. 

Another option is to consider alternative medications to Wegovy, such as Zepbound (tirzepatide) or Saxenda (liraglutide). Both of these are injectable medications for weight loss, just like Wegovy, although Saxenda is injected daily. 

Compounded semaglutide is another option. Compounded semaglutide contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide), but is produced by a state-licensed compounding pharmacy. Compounding pharmacies can create a medication that meets the needs of an individual patient, such as making a liquid form of a drug that comes as a pill. They also compound medications of FDA-approved drugs that are in shortage.

The list price of Wegovy is $1,349.02 for a month’s supply, but that’s a price set by the manufacturer and doesn’t account for insurance coverage or pharmacy retail prices. The cost of Wegovy online can be more or less, depending on the pharmacy you choose. 

One perk of buying Wegovy online is that many online pharmacies offer free shipping and home delivery. Insurance doesn’t always cover Wegovy, but even when it doesn’t, you may be eligible for Wegovy savings programs. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, offers a Wegovy Savings Offer for people with private or commercial insurance. If you qualify for the offer, you can get Wegovy for $25 or even free for a certain period of time. Restrictions apply, and people with federal, state, or government-funded insurance like Medicare, Medicaid, and VA don’t qualify.

Want to learn more about getting Wegovy online? Step one is making your appointment. With Ro’s weight loss program, you can connect with a licensed health provider to see if Wegovy or another GLP-1 medication is the right fit for you. If it is, you’ll receive a prescription for Wegovy and get access to ongoing monthly care and support, with personal weight loss coaching and prescription refills. 

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Current version

August 06, 2024

Written by

Amelia Willson

Fact checked by

Raagini Yedidi, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Raagini Yedidi, MD

Raagini Yedidi, MD, is an internal medicine resident and medical reviewer for Ro.