Do you qualify for weight loss medication in Ireland?
Wegovy and Saxenda are licensed in Ireland for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above where you also have a weight-related condition such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea or prediabetes. Meeting the threshold does not guarantee a prescription. Your prescriber will also assess your history, your other medicines and whether treatment is appropriate for you.
The BMI thresholds
The licensed criteria for weight management are a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 where at least one weight-related comorbidity is present. Those figures come from the products’ licences, not from a local Irish rule, so they apply the same way in every EU country.
BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. It is a blunt instrument and prescribers know it, which is why it is a starting point for the conversation rather than the whole of it.
The weight-related conditions that lower the BMI threshold to 27
- Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Dyslipidaemia, meaning abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides
- Cardiovascular disease
- Osteoarthritis where weight is a contributing factor
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
If any of these apply to you, say so at the consultation and bring evidence. A recent blood pressure reading or a sleep study result changes the conversation more than a description of it does.
What will rule you out of weight loss medication
This is a prescriber’s judgement, not a checklist you can self-apply, but it helps to know what will be asked.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding. All five are contraindicated, and you should stop well before trying to conceive.
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
- A history of pancreatitis. Not always an absolute bar, but it will be weighed carefully.
- Significant kidney or liver impairment.
- Severe gastrointestinal disease, including gastroparesis.
- An active eating disorder. Appetite suppression is not an appropriate treatment here and a good prescriber will say so.
What happens at an Irish weight management consultation
Expect height, weight and BMI measured rather than reported, blood pressure, a full medical and medication history, and a discussion of what you have already tried. Baseline bloods usually follow, typically HbA1c, kidney and liver function and thyroid, at €60 to €100.
A prescriber who does not ask about any of this is not doing the job properly, and that is worth noticing. Our guide to getting a weight loss prescription in Ireland covers the three routes and what each costs.
What to bring to your weight loss prescription appointment
- A list of every medicine and supplement you take, including doses
- Recent blood results if you have them
- Any diagnosis relevant to the 27 threshold, in writing where possible
- A realistic account of what you have tried and for how long
- Your questions about cost, because that conversation is easier before you start than after
Qualifying for weight loss medication is not the same as affording it
Worth settling early. If you qualify on BMI alone rather than through type 2 diabetes, no Irish scheme will reimburse the medication. Not the Drugs Payment Scheme, not a medical card, and generally not private health insurance.
So the practical question is not only whether a prescriber will write it, but whether you can sustain €200 to €400 a month for as long as you want the effect to hold. Our price page has the current figures, and what happens when you stop explains why this is an ongoing rather than a one-off cost.
If you do not qualify for GLP-1 treatment in Ireland
Hospital-based weight management services take referrals through the public system, and the criteria there differ from the private route. It is free if you qualify, and the waiting lists are long. Your GP can refer you.
Where to be assessed for weight loss medication in Ireland, by region
Your GP can assess you anywhere in the country and is the cheapest route at €35 to €60. Private weight management clinics are concentrated in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, charge €45 to €90, and tend to be quicker.
Public hospital weight management services take GP referrals and cost nothing if you qualify, but they sit in the larger centres and the waiting lists are long. If you are in Louth, Westmeath or Carlow, factor travel into the decision, and check any clinic prescriber is on the Medical Council register before you pay for a consultation.
Do I qualify for weight loss medication Ireland: common questions
30 or above, or 27 or above with a weight-related condition such as hypertension, sleep apnoea or prediabetes.
Yes, if you also have a weight-related condition. On a BMI of 27 with no comorbidity you fall outside the licensed criteria.
They can, and some do. Meeting the BMI threshold does not oblige a prescriber to write a prescription if they judge it clinically inappropriate.
Almost always. Baseline bloods typically cover HbA1c, kidney and liver function and thyroid, at roughly €60 to €100.
Let us find your price and your prescriber
Tell us your county. We will come back with the best price near you and an Irish specialist who can assess whether it suits you.
- The best price available near you, pharmacy by pharmacy
- An Irish specialist who can assess you and prescribe if suitable
- Whether your case is likely to qualify for State reimbursement