Wegovy (Semaglutide) in Ireland

Wegovy is the treatment most Irish patients are actually looking for when they search for Ozempic. Same molecule, different licence, and that difference decides everything about cost and access.

How much does Wegovy cost in Ireland?

Every Wegovy variant is priced identically at €279.95. Starter packs, follow-up packs and single pens all cost the same.

Single pens are also available at the same €279.95, which means there is no cost reason to buy one pen rather than two. If you are offered a single pen at that price, ask for the two-pen pack instead.

What else you pay for Wegovy in Ireland

• Consultation: €35 to €90 privately, €50 to €70 at a GP
• Baseline bloods: €60 to €100
• Monthly review for the first few months

Compare Wegovy against all five treatments →

How we help you get Wegovy in Ireland

The medication is the easy part. The difficulty is finding a prescriber who will assess you, and knowing which pharmacy to fill the script at once you have it.

• 1 We check the price for you. The same pack varies between Irish pharmacies by enough to matter across a year. We tell you what each charges and where the cheapest supply near you is.
• 2 We connect you with an Irish specialist. A registered prescriber assesses whether this treatment is appropriate for you. That clinical decision is theirs, not ours.
• 3 You get a valid Irish prescription if you are suitable, dispensed at a registered pharmacy and eligible for reimbursement where the indication qualifies.
• 4 We tell you when the price moves so you are not overpaying six months in.

Is Wegovy available in Ireland?

Yes, and it is the treatment most people are actually looking for when they search for a weight loss injection. Wegovy is licensed for weight management in Ireland and dispensed through registered pharmacies.

Supply has been the constraint rather than licensing. Demand across Europe outpaced manufacturing, and availability still varies by pharmacy and by week. Ring ahead and ask your pharmacist to check wholesaler stock before the prescription is issued.

Licensing status for any medicine can be checked on the HPRA authorised medicines register.

How to get a Wegovy prescription in Ireland

Wegovy is prescription-only. There are three legitimate routes.

Getting Wegovy through your GP

€50 to €70 for the visit, and the only route that reaches State reimbursement. If you have type 2 diabetes this is the route that gets the treatment onto the Drugs Payment Scheme or your medical card.

Getting Wegovy through a weight management clinic

€35 to €90 for the consultation. Registered clinics prescribe for weight management where a GP may not, with monthly follow-ups and no reimbursement on the medication itself. An online consultation with an Irish-registered doctor is lawful and increasingly common.

Getting Wegovy through hospital referral

Specialist bariatric and endocrinology services in the public system. Free at the point of access, with waiting lists measured in months to years depending on catchment.

The three routes in full detail →

Does the Drugs Payment Scheme cover Wegovy?

No. Wegovy is licensed only for weight management, and weight management is not a reimbursed indication in Ireland. That applies under the Drugs Payment Scheme, the medical card and the Long Term Illness Scheme alike.

This is the part that surprises people. Ozempic contains exactly the same molecule and is reimbursed, because it is licensed for type 2 diabetes. Reimbursement in Ireland follows the indication, not the drug.

See also medical card cover and where private insurers stand.

How Wegovy works

Semaglutide mimics GLP-1, a hormone released by the gut after eating. It slows gastric emptying, increases insulin response to food and acts on appetite signalling in the brain. The practical effect most people describe is earlier fullness and markedly less food preoccupation.

The Wegovy titration schedule

Wegovy titrates over sixteen weeks: 0.25 mg for four weeks, then 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 1.7 mg and finally 2.4 mg maintenance, each step held for four weeks. The schedule exists to limit gastrointestinal side effects, which are worst in the first days at each new dose.

That 2.4 mg maintenance dose matters. It is the dose used in the STEP weight management trials, and it is higher than Ozempic reaches. Detailed prescribing information is published by the European Medicines Agency.

Wegovy side effects

Common Wegovy side effects

Nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, headache and fatigue. Most are worst in the first week after a dose increase and settle. Smaller portions and avoiding very fatty meals helps more than most people expect.

When Wegovy side effects need a doctor

Severe or persistent abdominal pain, particularly radiating to the back, needs prompt attention as pancreatitis is a recognised risk. Also contact your prescriber about persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration, or gallbladder symptoms.

Wegovy compared with Mounjaro and Ozempic

Wegovy costs roughly half what Mounjaro does. Mounjaro produced larger average weight reduction in head-to-head data. The full comparison →

Who Wegovy is prescribed for

Prescribers typically consider it where BMI is 30 or above, or 27 and above with a weight-related condition such as hypertension, sleep apnoea or prediabetes. Those are general thresholds rather than a decision, and suitability depends on medical history a website cannot assess.

Worth reading first: what happens to your weight when you stop.

More on Wegovy and GLP-1 treatment in Ireland

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Wegovy in Ireland: common questions