Quick answer (August 2026): The Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide, a once-daily 25 mg tablet) is EU-approved — the European Commission granted a marketing authorisation covering Ireland on 15 July 2026 — and it is now available in Ireland through Slimbr's doctor-led service, with tablet medication from around €130/month (see the full published price list). Novo Nordisk has not yet announced a general Irish retail launch, so pharmacy-shelf availability remains limited. Whether the tablet or an injection — Mounjaro (tirzepatide) or Wegovy (semaglutide) — suits you is a clinical decision made with the doctor; either way, a first month with Slimbr starts from €229 all-in (doctor fee plus medication, delivery extra).
For the first time, the same medicine as the Wegovy injection is available as a once-daily tablet. It has been approved in the US, in the UK in June 2026, and — as of 15 July 2026 — right across the European Union, Ireland included. Naturally, the question we hear most in Ireland is simple: can I get the Wegovy pill here?
The honest answer is now yes — through Slimbr's doctor-led service, even though a general retail launch here hasn't been announced. It is still worth understanding what the pill actually is, how it compares to the injectable Wegovy, and why the right format is a decision to make with a doctor rather than a default.
What is the Wegovy pill?
The Wegovy pill is oral semaglutide — the exact same active medicine as the Wegovy injection — just in tablet form. It is made by Novo Nordisk, and the weight-management version is a once-daily 25 mg tablet. So it is not a new drug so much as a new format of a familiar one.
There is one important practical catch. Semaglutide is a peptide, and to be absorbed as a tablet it has to be taken carefully: on an empty stomach after fasting, with only a small sip of water, and then nothing to eat, drink or take for at least 30 minutes. That daily routine is stricter than the once-a-week injection, and it is worth factoring in.
Isn't this just Rybelsus?
Not quite. Rybelsus is also oral semaglutide, but it is licensed for type 2 diabetes at lower doses (up to 14 mg), not for weight loss. The new Wegovy tablet goes up to a higher 25 mg dose and is licensed specifically for weight management. It is also a different thing from the newer "small-molecule" pills in the headlines — orforglipron and elecoglipron — which are not semaglutide, have no food-and-water rules, and are at an earlier stage — orforglipron was recently licensed in the UK as Foundayo and is still under EMA review for the EU.
How well does it work?
In its main trial (OASIS 4), adults with obesity taking the 25 mg tablet lost on average around 13–17% of their body weight over about 64 weeks, compared with roughly 2% on placebo. As with any of these figures, that is a trial average alongside diet and lifestyle support — not a promise, and individual results vary a lot. Around one in three participants lost at least a fifth of their body weight.
Because it is the same molecule, similar weight-loss results would be expected — though the pill has not been directly compared head-to-head with the injection. The trade-off is the daily routine and the strict way it has to be taken, rather than a once-weekly jab.
What about side effects?
Because it is semaglutide, the side-effect profile is the familiar one for this family of medicines: mostly gastrointestinal — nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation — usually mild to moderate and most common while the dose is being increased. None of this is medical advice; whether any GLP-1 medicine is appropriate for a given person is a clinical decision made with a doctor, which is exactly why medical supervision matters.
Can you get the Wegovy pill in Ireland?
It is approved here — and now available through doctor-led care. The licence came on 15 July 2026, when the European Commission granted the Wegovy pill a marketing authorisation covering every EU member state, Ireland included. It followed the EMA's positive recommendation in May 2026, and approvals in the United States (December 2025) and the United Kingdom (June 2026).
Being licensed and being on every pharmacy shelf are still two different things. Novo Nordisk supplies the pill in the US, UK and UAE and is rolling out further countries during the second half of 2026, and no general Irish retail launch has been announced. But private, doctor-led supply has now reached Ireland: Slimbr can prescribe and supply the tablet here, with tablet medication from around €130/month on our published price list.
The pattern matches the UK, where the MHRA licence came on 11 June 2026 and private dispensing followed within weeks — private availability arriving well before any public reimbursement. As with the injectables, HSE reimbursement in Ireland is a separate, later question.
What the EU actually approved
The European Commission's 15 July 2026 decision authorised the once-daily 25 mg oral semaglutide tablet for adults living with obesity (a BMI of 30 or above), or adults who are overweight (a BMI of 27 or above) and have at least one weight-related health condition. As with the injectables, it is licensed as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity — not as a standalone.
The same decision also approved a 7.2 mg Wegovy injection in a single-dose pen, a higher strength than the doses currently used here; that higher-strength pen has no confirmed Irish supply date. The 25 mg tablet, by contrast, is now available in Ireland through Slimbr.
Whether either would be appropriate for any individual is a clinical question, and one only a doctor who has reviewed your history can answer.
Did you know you can claim up to 75% back on your health insurance?
See how the claim works →How the UK compares
The picture is different across the water. The UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, approved the Wegovy pill on 11 June 2026, and it has been available privately on prescription there since July 2026 (it is not funded on the NHS). UK eligibility mirrors the injection: a BMI of 30 or above, or 27–30 with at least one weight-related condition.
Slimbr also has UK-registered doctors, and treatment through Slimbr is available in the UK — so if you're in the UK, the oral option can be part of the conversation with the doctor today, where it's clinically appropriate. And for readers in Ireland, that conversation is now available too: the tablet can be prescribed and supplied here through Slimbr's doctor-led service.
What you can do in Ireland today
The licensed options for medical weight loss in Ireland now span both formats: the injectable GLP-1 treatments — Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) — and, through Slimbr, the Wegovy tablet. All are private prescriptions; none is currently reimbursed by the HSE for weight management. A proper service starts with a clinician checking that treatment is suitable and safe for you, rather than simply selling a product — you can read more in our complete guide to weight-loss treatment in Ireland.
Wegovy pill vs Wegovy injection in Ireland — at a glance
| Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) | Wegovy injection (semaglutide) | Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The same medicine as the injection, in a once-daily tablet | The established once-weekly injection | A lower-dose tablet of the same medicine |
| Licensed for | Weight management (where approved) | Weight management | Type 2 diabetes — not weight loss |
| The routine | Daily, on an empty stomach with a small sip of water, then nothing for at least 30 minutes | One injection a week | The same strict empty-stomach routine |
| Where it's approved | US (Dec 2025), UK (Jun 2026) and the EU (15 Jul 2026) — the EU licence covers Ireland | Approved and prescribed in Ireland | Approved for type 2 diabetes |
| Available in Ireland? | Yes — now available on private prescription through Slimbr's doctor-led service (no general retail launch announced yet) | Yes — on private prescription through doctor-led services | Licensed only for type 2 diabetes — not a weight-loss option |
Accurate at the time of writing (August 2026). Regulatory and supply timelines can shift, and none of this is medical advice — suitability is always a clinical decision made with a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Wegovy pill available in Ireland?
Yes — the European Commission approved the Wegovy pill across the EU on 15 July 2026, Ireland included, and it is now available here on private prescription through Slimbr's doctor-led service, with tablet medication from around €130/month. Novo Nordisk has not yet announced a general Irish retail launch, and — as with the injections — HSE reimbursement is a separate, later question.
Is the Wegovy pill the same as the injection?
Yes — it is the same active medicine, semaglutide, in a once-daily tablet instead of a weekly injection. The main practical difference is that the tablet must be taken on an empty stomach with a small sip of water, then nothing else for at least 30 minutes.
How much weight do people lose on the Wegovy pill?
In its main 64-week trial, people on the 25 mg tablet lost on average around 13–17% of their body weight, versus roughly 2% on placebo. That is a trial average alongside diet and lifestyle support — individual results vary and it is not a guaranteed outcome.
Is the Wegovy pill the same as orforglipron?
No. Orforglipron (and elecoglipron) are different, non-peptide "small-molecule" pills with no food or water rules, still at the trial or early-approval stage. The Wegovy pill is oral semaglutide — a peptide, with strict intake rules — and is the same molecule as the Wegovy injection.
What can I take in Ireland now?
The licensed medical weight-loss options in Ireland today are Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) as weekly injections and — through Slimbr — the daily Wegovy tablet, all prescribed privately after a clinical assessment.
