Ozempic and Wegovy: How Semaglutide Is Reshaping NHS Prescribing in 2025

In 2025, two drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, are changing the way the NHS approaches treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Both contain the same active ingredient: semaglutide, a medication that not only helps regulate blood sugar but also supports significant weight loss. This double benefit has led to a major shift in prescribing priorities across the health service.

What Is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a medication originally created to treat type 2 diabetes. It belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which help control blood sugar levels by:

• Increasing insulin production when needed
• Slowing down digestion to reduce hunger
• Helping the body use sugar more effectively

These effects have made it useful not only for diabetes but also for weight management-especially in people with obesity.

Ozempic: A Diabetes Drug With Extra Benefits

Ozempic is a weekly injection available on the NHS since 2019. It’s prescribed to people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, particularly when other medications haven’t worked well enough. ¹

But Ozempic offers more than just blood sugar control:

• It helps patients lose weight
• It lowers blood pressure
• It reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes ²

These benefits have made it hugely popular, and by 2025, NHS records show over 3 million prescriptions issued annually-making it one of the fastest-growing drugs in the system. ³

Wegovy: A New Weapon Against Obesity

Wegovy is a higher-dose version of semaglutide, designed specifically for weight loss. It was approved in the UK in late 2023 and became available through specialist NHS weight management services in 2024. ⁴

Unlike Ozempic, which is used for diabetes, Wegovy is prescribed to people who:

• Have a BMI of 35 or higher, and
• Also have at least one other weight-related health condition (like high blood pressure or sleep apnoea)

Wegovy is already being hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against obesity. NHS prescribing has surged in 2025, especially after new NICE guidance supported its widespread use. ⁴

Why This Matters to the NHS

Semaglutide’s popularity comes with a price-literally.

• Wegovy remains under patent, so it’s more expensive per dose
• High demand has pushed semaglutide into the top 5 most costly drugs in the NHS by total spending ⁵

Despite the cost, many clinicians believe it’s worth it. Treating obesity and diabetes early can help prevent hospital admissions, heart disease, and long-term disability-all of which cost the NHS even more over time.

Is Everyone Happy With This Shift?

Not exactly. While many doctors support semaglutide, others are raising questions:

1. Do we know the long-term effects?

While short-term studies are promising, we still don’t fully understand the long-term impact on:

• Lifespan
• Mental health
• Healthcare costs ⁶

2. What about side effects?

Common issues include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Digestive upset: These can be temporary, but they’re uncomfortable and may affect adherence.

3. Can the NHS handle the demand?

Some supply shortages have already occurred. ⁷ There’s also pressure on weight loss clinics and GPs to prioritise who gets the drug.

4. What happens when patients stop taking it?

It’s highly likely the weight will come back on. The key to sustained weightloss is lifestyle changes and changing behaviours. Injecting a drug does not change behaviours. 

5. Why are beauty therapists administering Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro?

This is a very big cause for concern when practitioners without prescribing rights are recommending, administering or prescribing these weight loss jabs. If you are a patient, be careful who you get it from. 

The Bigger Picture: Obesity in the UK

The UK has a growing obesity crisis:

• 63% of adults in England are overweight or obese ⁸
• Obesity-related hospital admissions have skyrocketed over the past decade ⁹

Lifestyle changes like diet and exercise remain essential. But many patients struggle to lose weight on lifestyle changes alone. That’s why semaglutide offers a potentially game-changing option.

Instead of replacing lifestyle changes, semaglutide supports them, helping people see quicker results-which can be motivating and life-saving.

How Does This Affect Physiotherapy?

For physiotherapists, the rise of semaglutide means patients may:

• Lose weight rapidly, especially in the first few months
• Have changes in muscle mass or joint pressure
• Show improvements in mobility, endurance, and pain tolerance

But there are also challenges:

• Rapid weight loss can cause muscle loss, leading to weakness or balance problems
• Changes in medication (like switching to semaglutide) can affect blood pressure, hydration, or energy levels

Physios will need to monitor progress carefully, adjust exercise plans, and work closely with GPs and dietitians to ensure patients are supported during their weight loss journey.

The Bottom Line: A Turning Point in NHS Prescribing

Semaglutide is more than just a drug-it represents a new direction in healthcare:

• It targets two of the NHS’s biggest challenges: type 2 diabetes and obesity
• It combines clinical effectiveness with broad public demand
• It forces a rethink on how we manage long-term conditions-not just reactively, but preventatively

In 2025, Ozempic and Wegovy are front and centre in this shift. But their success will depend on continued monitoring, patient education, and fair access for all who might benefit.

However, we reserve extreme caution with the use of Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Patients should do as much as possible to make lifestyle changes first before even conisdering usage. We are also concerned about the growing number of beauty therapists and non-doctors prescribing these drugs illegally without a prescribing licence. 

What Comes Next?

Looking ahead:

• More research will reveal how long patients need to stay on semaglutide for lasting results
• Other drugs in the same class (like tirzepatide) are entering the market, offering even more powerful options
• NICE and the NHS will continue to update guidance to reflect real-world results

For now, semaglutide is having a moment and that moment is reshaping both clinical care and public expectations about what’s possible in treating obesity and diabetes. But we are cautious, we think there could be more side-effects than people think. And we don’t know the long-term risks. We expect these to become apparent in the next 5 to 10 years and expect these drugs to be withdrawn from the market.

References

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2021). Semaglutide for treating type 2 diabetes (TA689).
   https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta689

2. Wilding, J.P.H., et al. (2021). Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 384:989–1002.
   https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

3. NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). (2025). Prescription Cost Analysis – England 2024/25.
   https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/prescription-cost-analysis-england

4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2023). Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity (TA875).
   https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta875

5. The King’s Fund. (2024). NHS spending on medicines.
   https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/nhs-spending-on-medicines

6. Mahase, E. (2023). Weight loss drugs: What do we know so far? BMJ 2023;381:p1177.
   https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p1177

7. BBC News. (2023). Wegovy launches in UK amid shortages. 4 September 2023.
   https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66703048

8. NHS Digital. (2024). Health Survey for England 2023.
   https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2023

9. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). (2024). Obesity-related hospital admissions: 2015–2024.
   https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet-england