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UK’s first weight loss pill Wegovy launches in pharmacies
- The Wegovy tablet, the UK’s first approved GLP-1 pill for weight loss, is now available following its approval by the medicines regulator in June.
- From Monday, initial doses of 1.5mg and 4mg will be accessible to eligible patients through weight management programmes in selected pharmacies.
- A National Pharmacy Association (NPA) survey revealed that 76 per cent of pharmacies anticipate a significant increase in patients seeking the pill, with nearly half already experiencing a surge in enquiries.
- Pharmacies are preparing for high demand, but the NPA chairman, Olivier Picard, highlighted that the NHS rollout remains extremely slow and urged for wider community pharmacy involvement.
- Concerns were raised about a potential rise in fake pills, leading the NPA to advise patients to only obtain the drug through regulated pharmacies after a thorough consultation.
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