Prescribing of Semaglutide (Wegovy®) for weight loss is restricted to tier 3 and 4 weight management services at St George’s hospital, in line with the criteria set and therefore should not be issued in primary care.
On 8 March 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance recommendations [TA875] on semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity within specialist weight management services (including Tier 3 and 4), in line with specific criteria.
At the time of the NICE publication, Wegovy®, was not commercially available for NHS use in the UK. From September 2023, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy® confirmed supplies would be made available to the NHS a controlled and limited launch.
SWL ICB in conjunction with our locally commissioned weight loss specialist service has now refreshed the existing weight management pathways and referral guidelines to incorporate Wegovy® alongside the prescribing of Liraglutide (Saxenda®).
The prescribing of both Wegovy® and Saxenda® are restricted to tier 3 and 4 weight management services at St George’s Hospital, in line with NICE TA875 and TA664 respectively.
Prescriptions of all liraglutide or semaglutide-containing formulations for the management of weight should not be issued in primary care.
Clinicians can access the local tier 3 and 4 weight management referral form and pathway for Wegovy® and liraglutide via DXS.
PDF SWL Semaglutide (Wegovy® for weight management (updated April 2024)