Wegovy® Weight Loss Injection NZ

What is Wegovy®?

Wegovy® is a prescription weight loss medication containing the active ingredient semaglutide. It's a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics a natural hormone released from the intestine after meals, helping to control appetite and reduce food cravings.

How Does Wegovy® Work?

Wegovy® works by acting on receptors in the brain that control appetite, causing you to:

• Feel fuller after eating

• Experience less hunger between meals

• Have reduced food cravings

• Naturally eat less food, leading to weight loss

Are these available as weight loss pills?

At the moment, GLP-1 medications are only available as weight loss injections, but not as weight loss pills.

Who Can Use Wegovy®?

Adults

Wegovy® is approved for adults who have:

• Obesity: BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater, OR

• Overweight with complications: BMI of 27-30 kg/m² with weight-related health problems

• Heart disease risk reduction: Adults with existing heart disease (without diabetes) and BMI ≥27 kg/m²

How is Wegovy® Administered?

Dosing Schedule

• Administration: Once-weekly injection under the skin (subcutaneous)

• Final maintenance dose: 2.4 mg weekly

• Duration: Used long-term alongside diet and exercise

Injection Details

• Use the FlexTouch® pre-filled pen

• Inject into front of upper arm, upper legs, or stomach

• Can be taken at any time of day, with or without food

• Same day each week preferred, but can be changed if at least 3 days between doses

Common Side Effects

Most Common

• Nausea (feeling sick)

• Vomiting (being sick)

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Stomach pain

• Headache

• Feeling weak or tired

Common

• Dizziness

• Indigestion/upset stomach

• Burping and gas

• Stomach bloating

• Heartburn/reflux

• Dry mouth

• Hair loss

• Injection site reactions

Managing Side Effects

• Start with low dose and gradually increase

• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration

• Side effects often improve over time

• Consult doctor if side effects are severe or persistent

Serious Side Effects (Seek Immediate Medical Attention)

Emergency Situations

• Severe allergic reaction: Breathing problems, swelling of face/throat, fast heartbeat

• Pancreatitis: Severe, persistent stomach and back pain that doesn't go away

• Bowel obstruction: Severe constipation with stomach pain, bloating, vomiting

Important Safety Information

Do NOT Use Wegovy® if you:

• Are allergic to semaglutide or any ingredients

• Are pregnant or planning pregnancy (stop 2 months before trying to conceive)

• Are breastfeeding

• Have Type 1 diabetes

• Are using other weight loss products

• Have severe heart failure

Storage and Handling

• Refrigeration: Store at 2°C – 8°C (36°F – 46°F)

• Room temperature: Can be kept out of fridge for up to 6 weeks below 30°C (86°F)

• Protection: Keep in original carton to protect from light

• Disposal: Discard pen after 6 weeks even if medicine remains

• Do not freeze or expose to excessive heat

This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new medication.

Step 1 - Pre-book a consultation

Our expert pharmacists will ask you about your weight loss goals, lifestyle, nutrition, and weight management challenges. Using this information, they will formulate long-term weight management strategies designed specifically for you. If you meet the eligibility criteria for a weight loss injection, this can be supplied without a prescription under a standing order for you from a consultation with your Unichem Pharmacist.

Step 2 - Start your weight management programme

In addition to lifestyle and dietary modifications, our pharmacists may recommend a weight loss injection suitable for you. These work in conjunction with lifestyle changes. In some instances, weight loss injections may not be right for you.

Step 3 - Regular check-ins

Your Unichem Pharmacist will make appointments to check on your progress regularly. We evaluate how well your programme is working, discuss any side effects, and make changes if required to improve your outcomes. We’re here to help you stay committed to your weight loss strategies in a safe and healthy way.

References

Novo Nordisk. (n.d.). Managing weight with Wegovy®. Wegovy. Available at: https://www.wegovy.com (Accessed: 24 June 2025).

Verywell Health (2024). How Wegovy (semaglutide) helps you lose weight. Verywell Health. (Accessed: 24 June 2025).

GoodRx (n.d.). Semaglutide for weight loss: How it works. GoodRx. (Accessed: 24 June 2025).

New Zealand Herald (2025). Popular weight‑loss drug Wegovy receives approval in New Zealand. NZ Herald. (Published two months ago). (Accessed: 24 June 2025).

The Terrace Medical Centre (2025). New weight‑loss medication Wegovy has been approved for use in Aotearoa NZ…. The Terrace Medical Centre. (Published two months ago). (Accessed: 24 June 2025).

Wegovy® is an unfunded prescription medicine - patient co-payment for medicine and healthcare professional fees apply.

Wegovy® FlexTouch® (semaglutide solution for injection). Available in the following dose forms: 0.25 mg (0.68 mg/mL), 0.5 mg (1.34 mg/mL), 1.0 mg (1.34 mg/mL), 1.7 mg (2.27 mg/mL) and 2.4 mg (3.2 mg/mL). Indication: As an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management (including weight loss and weight maintenance) in adult patients with an initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2 (obesity) or ≥27 kg/m2 to <30 kg/m2 (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity; in adolescents ages 12 years and above with initial obesity* and body weight above 60 kg (*obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) as defined on sex- and age-specific BMI growth charts (CDC.gov) – refer to full datasheet); as an adjunct to standard of care therapy to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease, with a BMI ≥27 kg/m2, and without established Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Treatment with Wegovy® should be re-evaluated and discontinued if adolescent patients have not reduced their BMI by at least 5% after 12 weeks on the 2.4 mg or maximum tolerated dose. Dosage and administration: Administered subcutaneously once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals; starting dose 0.25 mg; increase to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg over a 16-week period at 4 weekly intervals. In case of significant gastrointestinal symptoms, consider delaying dose escalation until symptoms have improved. If patients do not tolerate the 2.4 mg dose, the dose can be decreased to 1.7 mg weekly. Patients should re-escalate to the 2.4 mg dose if tolerated. Doses higher than 2.4 mg are not recommended. Must not be administered intravenously or intramuscularly. Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any of its excipients. Warnings and precautions: Consider the risk of aspiration during general anaesthesia or deep sedation; dehydration in relation to gastrointestinal side effects in patients with impaired renal function may cause deterioration in renal function; there have been postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury and worsening of chronic renal failure. Inform patients of the characteristic symptoms of acute pancreatitis, and discontinue if suspected; do not restart if confirmed. Exercise caution in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Not studied in patients: treated with other products for weight management; with Type 1 diabetes; with congestive heart failure New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV. Limited experience in patients: aged 85 years or more; with inflammatory bowel disease; with diabetic gastroparesis; with severe renal impairment; with severe hepatic impairment. Must not be used as a substitute for insulin. Should not be used in combination with other GLP-1 products. Treatment in combination with a sulfonylurea or insulin may have an increased risk of hypoglycaemia. The addition of Wegovy® in patients treated with insulin has not been evaluated. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored for worsening. Not recommended for patients with uncontrolled or unstable diabetic retinopathy. When initiating treatment of semaglutide in patients treated with warfarin or other coumarin derivatives, frequent monitoring of INR is recommended. Pregnancy Category D. Not for use during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Interactions: Semaglutide delays gastric emptying, use with caution in patients receiving oral medicinal products that require rapid gastrointestinal absorption. Undesirable effects: Very Common (≥10%): nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue. Common (≥1 to <10%): gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspepsia, eructation, flatulence, abdominal distension, dry mouth, dizziness, dysgeusia, dysaesthesia, cholelithiasis, hair loss, injection site reactions; in patients with Type 2 diabetes: hypoglycaemia, diabetic retinopathy. (April 2025)