UK pharmacies see surge in demand for Wegovy pills as private rollout expands

Traders Union
All News
Financial News
UK pharmacies see Wegovy surge

Highlights

Seventy percent of UK pharmacies report patient enquiries about Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy pill after its private launch, with a starting dose costing £100 per month.
UK supermarkets lost £780 million in annual sales as users of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy cut grocery purchases, mirroring a 5.3 percent spending decline seen in U.S. households using similar drugs.
Wegovy's private availability and NHS restrictions are creating a two-tier system, limiting access for lower-income patients as more local health commissioners restrict NHS weight-loss injections.

Private launch drives early patient enquiries

As reported by Financial Times, pharmacies across the UK are experiencing strong early demand for the anti-obesity pill after it became available through high street pharmacies and online providers on Monday.

A survey by the National Pharmacy Association found that 70.6 per cent of pharmacies had received enquiries from patients seeking to start treatment with Wegovy. The daily tablet, made by Novo Nordisk, is the oral version of the company's weekly injection and contains the active ingredient semaglutide.

The pill became the first oral weight-loss treatment approved anywhere in the world when U.S. authorities cleared it in December, and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved it last month. Clinical trials show an average body-weight reduction of 17 per cent after 64 weeks, while the 1.25mg starting dose costs about £100 a month at private pharmacies in the UK.

Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, says the demand is clearly noticeable, but he warns that prescribing decisions should be made responsibly, based on clinical need, and that pricing should be transparent for patients. The treatment is prescribed for adults who are obese, with a body mass index of at least 30 and at least one pre-existing weight-related health condition.

Sehar Shahid, an online pharmacist in Scotland, says she has seen a significant increase in enquiries and describes strong excitement around the drug. She also warns that misinformation and poor marketing practices by some providers are giving patients the incorrect impression that the pill is easier to obtain than the injection.

Pressure on supermarkets and access concerns grow

The broader commercial impact is already extending beyond healthcare, with the rollout expected to deepen the hit to UK supermarket sales as more users of weight-loss drugs buy less food. Research from Worldpanel by Numerator says supermarkets lost £780 million in sales in the year to February as users of these medicines cut back on purchases.

Evidence from the U.S. points to a similar pattern. Cornell University research finds that households with at least one person taking appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy reduce grocery spending by 5.3 per cent within six months, while higher-income households cut spending by 8.2 per cent.

Modelling by Bramble Partners, which invests in and advises food-sector businesses, suggests people in the UK will consume 5 per cent fewer calories by 2035 because of these drugs and broader healthy-eating trends. That points to a longer-term shift in demand for supermarkets and food manufacturers.

The drug is licensed for use in the UK but is not currently available on the NHS, adding to concerns over unequal access. Experts warn that a two-tier system is emerging, with wealthier patients able to pay for private prescriptions while poorer patients face tighter access, especially after more than half of local health commissioners in England move to restrict NHS weight-loss injections.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, also warns in new guidance published on Friday that people taking weight-loss drugs need physical activity to maintain muscle strength. He says users lose both fat and muscle while on the medicines, making strength and balance important over time.

Our earlier coverage of the UK’s disability benefits bill explained how personal independence payment (Pip) claims have surged since 2019, with mental health-related applications a key driver of rising costs and renewed scrutiny of the assessment model. We also noted warnings that reform is becoming fiscally urgent, as policymakers weigh tighter eligibility and more tailored support to curb long-term welfare spending.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.