Semaglutide 2.4mg in Australia — Patient Information

About Semaglutide 2.4mg in Australia

Semaglutide 2.4mg is a prescription-only medicine in Australia, supplied under the brand name Wegovy. Australian regulations restrict advertising of prescription medicines to consumers, so this page is general patient information about the medicine, the kind of consultation involved in being prescribed it, and the questions to discuss with an AHPRA-registered prescriber — not an advertisement, not an offer of sale, and not medical advice. Whether semaglutide 2.4mg is suitable for an individual patient is a clinical decision following an assessment by a registered prescriber.

TGA-approved indication

In Australia, semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) is TGA-approved for weight management in adults who meet the clinical criteria set out in its Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods entry. Ozempic, a separate semaglutide product, is TGA-approved for type 2 diabetes only.

What to discuss with an AHPRA-registered prescriber

• Whether semaglutide is clinically appropriate for your circumstances and other medicines.
• The dose-escalation schedule used to reduce side effects.
• Monitoring and follow-up reviews during treatment.
• Side effects, contraindications and what to do if you experience them.
• What happens if you need to stop the treatment, and what alternatives exist.

Service-level cost components

Private prescription care in Australia generally involves the following cost components. The medicine itself is priced by the dispensing pharmacy — ask the prescriber and pharmacy for a written breakdown before paying.

• Consultation fee

  In-person and telehealth consultation fees vary by provider. Medicare rebates may apply where a Medicare item number is used.

• Prescription / clinical assessment

  May be bundled into the consultation or charged separately.

• Pharmacy dispensing

  Private dispensing fees vary by pharmacy. Cold-chain delivery may apply for refrigerated medicines.

• Follow-up reviews

  The frequency of follow-up affects the total cost of care.

• Programme model

  Some telehealth services bundle consultation, follow-up and dispensing into a monthly programme fee; others charge per item.

PBS and Medicare context

Semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) is not currently PBS-subsidised for weight management, so the cost of the medicine is generally paid privately. Medicare may rebate part of the consultation cost where a Medicare item number is used by an eligible practitioner; Medicare does not subsidise the medicine itself for weight management. Check the current PBS schedule at pbs.gov.au.

FAQs