PRIVATE weight-loss clinics in Jersey are expected to begin prescribing a newly approved weight-loss pill – but Health officials are awaiting further national guidance before deciding whether it should be made available to public patients.
The Wegovy tablet, which contains semaglutide, offers an alternative to the injectable GLP-1 medicines that have transformed obesity treatment in recent years.
It recently received approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and has become available through private healthcare in the UK.
Responding to queries from the JEP, the Health Department said the medication could only be issued by “a suitably qualified registered prescriber”.
Officials said they anticipated that private weight-loss clinics on the Island would begin offering the treatment, with prescriptions dispensed by local community pharmacies.
“This is a decision for the prescribers working in those clinics,” a department spokesperson said.
While some Islanders already receive weight-loss medication through their GP or hospital specialist services, Health said there would be no immediate change for public patients.
The department said it would first consider forthcoming guidance from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before deciding whether the Wegovy pill should be added to publicly funded treatment options.
Although Jersey is not formally covered by NICE, its recommendations are routinely used by Health officials as a benchmark when assessing new medicines.
Health officials said: “Whilst the Wegovy Pill has received UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approval, NICE guidance related to its use is still in development.
“As part of Health and Care Jersey’s standard decision-making process, Health and Care Jersey would review that forthcoming NICE guidance alongside other relevant evidence related to matters such as cost and clinical effectiveness, before deciding whether the Wegovy Pill should be made available to public patients.”
The department added that it would continue to monitor developments and that existing weight-management pathways and approved medicines would remain unchanged in the meantime.
The tablet is available privately in England but has not yet been introduced on the NHS.
Eligibility mirrors that for injectable Wegovy, with treatment intended for adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, or those with a BMI between 27 and 30 who also have certain weight-related health conditions.
The development comes amid rapidly growing demand for GLP-1 medicines in Jersey. More than 8,600 prescriptions for GLP-1 receptor agonists were dispensed on the Island in 2025, including more than 6,000 prescriptions for semaglutide and around 2,600 for tirzepatide.
The figures showed a sharp rise from prescribing levels just five years earlier – although they excluded private prescriptions and medicines obtained online, meaning overall use is likely to be significantly higher.
The latest public health report also highlighted the scale of obesity across the Island, with 56% of adults now classified as overweight or obese and more than 12,500 Islanders recorded on the obesity register.
Despite the rapid growth in prescribing, publicly funded access to GLP-1 medicines for weight loss remains limited in Jersey.
They are currently funded primarily for people with type 2 diabetes, rather than obesity alone, unlike England where eligible patients are gradually gaining access through the NHS.
It comes after the JEP ran a three-day series last year exploring the growing use of weight-loss drugs in Jersey and the need for a more holistic approach to weight management.
Islanders raised concerns over the lack of a dedicated weight-management service, with campaigners arguing for greater access to dietetic, psychological and lifestyle support alongside medication.
Doctors have also warned about the risks of obtaining weight-loss drugs online or through inadequately regulated prescribing routes, saying robust clinical oversight is essential as demand continues to grow.
