GLP-1 Tablets in the UK: What Is Licensed and Who Can Take Them (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

Are there GLP-1 tablets for weight loss in the UK?

Yes. Until recently, every licensed GLP-1 weight-loss medicine in the UK was an injection. That has changed: Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed in the UK: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk), approved by the MHRA in June 2026, and Foundayo (orforglipron, made by Eli Lilly), approved in August 2026.²⁰²¹ They are different medicines from Mounjaro, with their own dosing, eligibility checks and trial results, and both are prescription-only.

Nothing you can buy without a prescription works like these medicines. You can read more about the tablet category on our page about oral GLP-1 options, and see the product pages for the Wegovy pill and Foundayo (orforglipron) for current availability and prices.

02 · Your decision

Which option is relevant to you?

The real decision is rarely 'tablet or no tablet'. It is a choice between three practical routines, set side by side without comparing their trial results as if they were head to head.

No trial has compared Mounjaro directly with either tablet, so no one option can be ranked above another. Our weight loss clinic page explains the wider pathway, and if you are weighing price, the cost of GLP-1 tablets guide covers what to expect.

03 · Next step

What to do next

Start with the question your prescriber will ask: do you meet the licensed criteria? For both tablets, that means a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²⁰²¹ Then think honestly about your routine. Can you take a tablet on an empty stomach every morning? Do you take other tablets that would need to wait? Are you on an oral contraceptive pill? Those answers matter more than any headline average.

If you would rather use an injection, our Mounjaro pen starts at £169.99 for the 2.5mg starting pen, standard price, checked 10 October 2026. Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. It is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary.¹ Our free consultation is the starting point whichever route you consider, and our team can talk through what is currently available when you ask.

04 · What GLP-1 tablets are

What are GLP-1 tablets and how do they work?

GLP-1 tablets are once-daily prescription medicines that act on the same gut-hormone system as the weight-loss injections, but are swallowed instead of injected. GLP-1 is a natural hormone released after eating. These medicines copy its action on appetite and digestion, so most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.

That is the shared idea, but the tablets are not interchangeable. Wegovy tablets contain semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the Wegovy injection.²⁰ Foundayo contains orforglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 tablet made by Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro.²¹ Each has its own dose ladder, its own rules for taking it, its own side-effect profile and its own trial programme. A prescriber treats them as separate choices, and so should you.

It also helps to understand where Mounjaro fits. Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin.¹ That dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide. No tablet that acts on both GIP and GLP-1 exists in the UK today; our guide to GLP-1 and GIP tablets has more.

Some dislike needles. Some worry about storing a pen in the fridge and travelling with it. Some simply want a daily habit rather than a weekly one. All of those are legitimate preferences, and a prescriber can weigh them against your health and your other medicines.

It is worth being clear about what a tablet is not. It is not a shortcut around the diet and activity changes the licence requires, it is not available without a consultation, and it is not a supplement. A GLP-1 tablet is a regulated medicine, supplied against a prescription, with a patient leaflet, side effects to report and follow-up to attend.

The tablets are also new to the UK market, so the real-world experience that surrounds injections is still building. That is not a reason to avoid them, but it is a reason to rely on the licensed information, the trial results and your prescriber rather than on social media claims. If a seller promises faster results outside a licensed pathway, that is the warning sign.¹

05 · Wegovy tablets explained

Wegovy tablets: what they are and how to take them

Wegovy tablets are oral semaglutide, taken once a day. Wegovy tablets contain semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the Wegovy injection, taken as one tablet once a day.²⁰ They are licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²⁰

The dose ladder is gradual. Treatment starts at 1.5mg once daily and steps up to 4mg, 9mg and then the 25mg maintenance dose, with at least one month at each dose; the dose can stay at an earlier step if needed.²⁰ The gradual steps are there to help your body adjust, and your prescriber decides when you move up rather than the calendar alone.

The routine is where most people need to think. The tablet must be taken on an empty stomach after fasting for at least 8 hours, swallowed whole with a sip of water (up to half a glass, about 120ml), and you then wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other tablets.²⁰ In practice that means it suits people who wake, take the tablet, and then carry on with a settled morning. It suits people with an unpredictable start to the day less well.

Missed doses are simple. If a dose is missed, skip it and take the next tablet the following day.²⁰ Do not double up to catch up.

If you already use the Wegovy injection, there is a licensed route across. People on the 2.4mg weekly Wegovy injection can move to the 25mg tablet, starting one week after their last injection.²⁰ That is a conversation for your prescriber rather than a self-directed swap, and you should never run two GLP-1 medicines together.

If you want the Wegovy product details and current availability, see the Wegovy pill page, or the Wegovy pen if you prefer the weekly injection.

Finally, think about everything else you swallow in the morning. Because you wait before taking other tablets, regular medicines may need to be timed around the Wegovy tablet. Tell your prescriber what you take, including anything bought from a shop, so the routine can be planned safely.

06 · Wegovy tablet results

Wegovy tablets: OASIS 4 results and side effects

In the OASIS 4 trial, people taking Wegovy tablets lost a meaningful share of their body weight on average, and most lost at least a modest amount. 76.3% lost at least 5% of their body weight (vs 30.5% on placebo) and 59.8% lost at least 10% (vs 14.1%).²²

These are trial averages, and individual results vary. Treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, not instead of them.

Side effects follow the pattern you would expect from a GLP-1 medicine. The most common side effects are digestive — nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion and stomach pain — along with headache and tiredness; gallstones and hair loss are listed as common.²²

What should you do if side effects are troublesome? Tell your prescriber rather than stopping or changing the dose yourself. Our team provides ongoing monthly reviews and side-effect support for the medicines we supply. You can also report any suspected side effect through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

How should you read these numbers? As a guide to what a large, controlled trial found for one medicine, in one group of people, over one period. They are not a forecast for you, and they should not be set against the results of other trials as if the trials were head to head. Different people, different durations and different doses make that comparison unreliable. SURMOUNT-5 is the trial that compared tirzepatide directly with injected semaglutide, and it used the injection.

If you want to compare tablets with other tablet-format products, our page on weight loss medication tablets sets out how licensed medicines differ from non-prescription products. Please see the current Wegovy tablet prices on the product page, where the live figure is shown.

Before you start, tell your prescriber about any history of gallbladder problems and about how you currently manage digestion. Those conversations help set realistic expectations before the first tablet.

07 · Foundayo explained

Foundayo (orforglipron): what it is and how to take it

Foundayo is a once-daily GLP-1 tablet from Eli Lilly that you can take at any time of day. Foundayo contains orforglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 tablet made by Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro.²¹ Unlike Wegovy tablets it can be taken at any time of day, with or without food and without water restrictions; the tablet is swallowed whole.²¹ For many people, that flexibility is the main appeal, because the tablet fits around shift work, travel and irregular mornings.

Eligibility mirrors the other tablet. It is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²¹

The dose ladder has more rungs. Treatment starts at 0.8mg once daily, then steps up to 2.5mg and 5.5mg, and then to 9mg, 14.5mg or 17.2mg depending on response and tolerability, with at least 30 days at each dose; 17.2mg once daily is the maximum.²¹ Your prescriber chooses where you settle based on how you respond and how you tolerate it.

If a dose is missed, take it as soon as possible, but never more than one tablet a day.²¹ That is different from the Wegovy tablet, where a missed dose is simply skipped, so do not carry the habits of one medicine over to the other.

One safety point deserves attention if you take the oral contraceptive pill. Foundayo may make oral contraceptive pills less effective: switch to a non-oral method or add a barrier method for 30 days after starting and for 30 days after each dose increase.²¹ Plan this with your prescriber before you begin, and note that the MHRA publishes guidance on contraception with GLP-1 medicines.⁷

Because Foundayo is made by the same company as Mounjaro, some people assume it is a tablet version of tirzepatide. It is not. Orforglipron is a different medicine from tirzepatide, with its own licence, dosing and trial results. You can read the product details and current availability on the Foundayo (orforglipron) page, and our overview of GLP-1 medications in tablet form shows how it sits within the wider category.

As with every prescription weight-loss medicine, a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews your consultation first, and unsuitable orders are refunded automatically. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

08 · Foundayo results

Foundayo: ATTAIN-1 results and side effects

In ATTAIN-1, people on the highest dose of orforglipron lost a clear amount of body weight compared with placebo, and lower doses gave smaller average losses.

There is an important caveat about the doses. The trial used capsules, and the UK 17.2mg tablet corresponds to the highest trial dose, so the tablet and capsule doses are not comparable milligram for milligram.²³ If you see trial milligram figures quoted next to the UK dose ladder, treat any direct matching with caution and ask your prescriber what applies to the tablet you are offered.

On tolerability, the most common side effects are digestive — nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, indigestion and stomach pain.²³ In the trial, 10.3% of people on the highest dose stopped because of side effects, compared with 2.7% on placebo.²³

How should you use this information? First, remember that these are averages from one trial, and individual results vary. Second, remember that the trial population did not have type 2 diabetes, so the numbers describe that group. Third, do not line them up against the OASIS 4 numbers and declare a winner. Different trials enrolled different people, ran for different durations and tested different doses. Comparing them head to head is exactly the mistake the evidence does not support.

Digestive effects are the main thing to plan for, and response differs by dose. If those effects become hard to manage, speak to your prescriber, and report suspected side effects through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

For the current Foundayo price, check the live Foundayo (orforglipron) page; our guide to the cheapest GLP-1 tablets explains how to compare prices.

09 · Tablets vs Mounjaro

GLP-1 tablets vs the Mounjaro injection

The honest comparison is about routine and suitability first, because no trial has compared Mounjaro with either tablet. Mounjaro is a once-weekly injection; Wegovy tablets and Foundayo are once-daily tablets.¹ No trial has compared Mounjaro directly with either tablet, so results from separate trials — with different people, durations and doses — should not be set against each other as if they were head to head (SURMOUNT-5 is the trial that compared tirzepatide directly with injected semaglutide).

The practical differences matter as much as the averages: Wegovy tablets need a strict empty-stomach routine every morning, Foundayo has no food or water rules, and Mounjaro needs one injection a week. A prescriber will check which option is suitable for your health, your other medicines and your routine.

Where direct evidence does exist, it concerns the injections. In SURMOUNT-5, adults on tirzepatide lost on average 20.2% of body weight over 72 weeks versus 13.7% on semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy).¹⁵ Both are effective, licensed treatments; which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice, not the headline number alone. In the STEP 1 trial, adults on semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) lost on average 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.⁹

That evidence is about injections, and it should not be transferred to tablets. The tablets are different products with their own trials.

So who might prefer which? If you dislike needles and can keep a fixed morning routine, Wegovy tablets may appeal. If you want flexibility around meals and timing, Foundayo may appeal. If you prefer to deal with your treatment once a week, Mounjaro may suit you. None of those preferences is wrong, and a prescriber can help you weigh them.

Cost is also part of the decision. Our Mounjaro pen standard prices run from £169.99 for 2.5mg to £329.99 for 15mg per month, and a new customer saves £40 on the first order with code FIRST40. Every later order is £25 off the standard price (code DOSE25).

If you are switching rather than starting fresh, remember that there is no licensed direct conversion between semaglutide and tirzepatide. Switching is done under prescriber supervision: typically the previous medicine is stopped, a washout interval observed, and Mounjaro started at a dose your prescriber judges appropriate — often the 2.5mg starting dose, sometimes adjusted based on your history. Never run two GLP-1 medicines together.¹

10 · NHS, private and buying safely

Getting GLP-1 tablets: NHS, private and safe buying

GLP-1 tablets are prescription-only, so the only safe route is a prescriber, whether through the NHS or a regulated private pharmacy. You cannot buy them over the counter, and a regulated UK pharmacy will not supply them without a consultation and a prescription.

On the NHS, access to Mounjaro is phased. Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years.⁶ NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁴ Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. For the tablets, ask your GP what is currently available in your area. The NHS guide to tirzepatide is a good starting point for the injection.⁵

If you choose private treatment, check who you are buying from. Our pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC 9012878), and you can verify that on the public register.¹² Counterfeit medicines are a genuine risk in this market, and the MHRA publishes counterfeit medicine alerts and the Yellow Card scheme for reporting problems.⁷ Treat any seller offering to supply without a consultation or prescription as a warning sign, however polished the website looks.

• Free online consultation. A short health questionnaire, no charge, no obligation.
• Prescriber review. Reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, not a scoring script. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.
• Dispensing and delivery. Dispensed by our registered pharmacy, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm and free next-day tracked delivery in discreet packaging. Saturday delivery is £14.99.

Consultation is free, the price shown is the price paid, and there are no hidden fees. Repeat orders re-check suitability, with no auto-shipping, and we offer Klarna and pay-monthly options with no subscription lock-in. If you want to compare buying routes, our guide on how to buy GLP-1 tablets goes through what to look for.

Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by email at support@everydaymeds.co.uk, through the account portal chat or by phone on 0333 207 0413. Our free GLPTrackr app can also help you keep track of your treatment.

11 · Safety, supplements and alternatives

Safety, 'natural GLP-1' supplements and other alternatives

No supplement or over-the-counter product reproduces what a licensed GLP-1 tablet does, and that is the most important thing to know before you spend money on one. 'Natural GLP-1' supplements (such as berberine) are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence.¹ They are low-cost supplements with no clinical oversight, and their dosing is not standardised. Dramatic weight-loss claims attached to them should be treated with scepticism.

What about other tablets? Orlistat (tablet) blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses than the GLP-1 medicines.¹ Our guide to weight loss tablets in the UK explains how orlistat compares. Wegovy and Saxenda (liraglutide) are other licensed injectables, and liraglutide is a daily injection supplied at a concentration of 6mg per millilitre, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

Beware of anything described as a 'booster'. If you have seen products marketed this way, our page on GLP-1 booster tablets explains why they are not a substitute for a licensed medicine. Be equally wary of combining products. Mounjaro must not be combined with other GLP-1 medicines, unlicensed 'research' peptides (such as retatrutide, which has no UK licence), or compounded copies.¹ These combinations have no safety data and no regulated supply chain. The same caution applies to adding a GLP-1 tablet on top of an injection.

Who should not take GLP-1 medicines? That decision belongs to the prescriber, who reviews your medical history, your other medicines and any pregnancy plans. For Mounjaro, you should not take it if you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of its ingredients, and it should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. Your prescriber will take extra care, or may recommend against treatment, if you have a history of pancreatitis, severe gut or digestive disease, diabetic retinopathy, or gallbladder problems. Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy, and it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive; if you become pregnant during treatment, stop the medicine and tell your prescriber promptly. Be open in your consultation about gallbladder problems, digestive conditions, diabetes treatment and the contraceptive pill. Mounjaro slows stomach emptying, which can reduce how well oral contraceptive pills are absorbed, so switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method (such as condoms), for 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. If you take insulin or sulfonylureas, doses may need adjusting because of the risk of low blood sugar, so tell your prescriber before starting.

Finally, report anything unexpected. If you notice a new symptom after starting any GLP-1 medicine, discuss it with your prescriber and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹ If the medicine you hold looks wrong, or you suspect it is counterfeit, stop and contact the pharmacy and the MHRA.⁷ Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.

12 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹