Weight-loss medication in Ireland has gone from one or two options to a full menu — weekly injections, daily tablets, an older fat-blocker, and a pipeline waiting on European licences. This guide lists every weight-loss medicine currently licensed in Ireland, who the licence says it is for, what it costs from, and whether the State pays any of it.
Checked September 2026 against the HSE obesity-medicines page, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) product licences and Slimbr's published price list (prices checked 1 September 2026). Every medicine below is prescription-only unless stated; nothing here is medical advice, and whether any medicine suits you is a decision for a doctor.
Every weight-loss medicine licensed in Ireland: the September 2026 list
As of September 2026, the prescription-only weight-loss medicines licensed and available in Ireland are: (none except Saxenda is covered by the medical card, Long-Term Illness Scheme or Drugs Payment Scheme; medication prices are Slimbr's, checked 1 September 2026)
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) — once-weekly injection, adults only; medication from about €180 a month at the starting dose.
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection — once-weekly injection; medication from about €150 a month.
- Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide) — once-daily tablet, EU-approved July 2026 (CHMP opinion May 2026) as the first oral GLP-1 for weight management; available through Slimbr, medication from about €130 a month.
- Saxenda (liraglutide) — once-daily injection; the only weight-loss medicine on the HSE reimbursement list, with strict criteria including a BMI of 35 or more. Pharmacy-priced; Slimbr does not supply it.
- Xenical (orlistat 120 mg) — capsule with each main meal. A lower 60 mg orlistat product (alli) is EU-licensed as a non-prescription pharmacy medicine for adults with a BMI of 28 or more.
- Mysimba (naltrexone/bupropion) — prolonged-release tablet.
Not on the list: Ozempic (semaglutide) — licensed for type 2 diabetes only; any weight-loss use is off-label. Foundayo (orforglipron) — UK-licensed August 2026, EMA review ongoing, not yet available in Ireland.
Weight-loss medication in Ireland compared
"Licensed for weight management" means the EU marketing authorisation, which applies in Ireland, names weight management as an indication. "DPS / medical card" is what the HSE says today. Costs are medication only, from Slimbr's price list where we supply the medicine — service fee and delivery are separate (see the cost section).
| Medicine | Active ingredient | Form / frequency | Licensed for weight management in Ireland? | Prescription-only? | DPS / medical card? | Medication cost from (per month) | Slimbr offers it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounjaro | Tirzepatide | Injection, once weekly | Yes (adults) | Yes | No | ~€180 (2.5 mg) to ~€370 (15 mg) | Yes |
| Wegovy injection | Semaglutide | Injection, once weekly | Yes | Yes | No | ~€150 (0.25–1 mg) to ~€350 (2.4 mg) | Yes |
| Wegovy tablets | Semaglutide (oral) | Tablet, once daily | Yes (adults) — EU-approved July 2026 | Yes | No | ~€130 to ~€310 by dose plan | Yes |
| Saxenda | Liraglutide | Injection, once daily | Yes | Yes | Yes, with strict criteria (BMI 35+ and more), up to 6 months initially | Pharmacy-priced; ask your pharmacist | No |
| Xenical | Orlistat 120 mg | Capsule with each main meal | Yes | Yes | No | Pharmacy-priced; ask your pharmacist | No |
| alli | Orlistat 60 mg | Capsule with each main meal | Yes (BMI 28+) | No — EU-licensed without prescription; ask a pharmacist about availability | No | Pharmacy-priced | No |
| Mysimba | Naltrexone / bupropion | Prolonged-release tablet, up to twice daily | Yes | Yes | No | Pharmacy-priced; ask your pharmacist | No |
| Ozempic | Semaglutide | Injection, once weekly | No — type 2 diabetes only | Yes | Diabetes patients only (medical card / LTI) | n/a for weight loss | No — not for weight loss |
| Foundayo | Orforglipron | Tablet, once daily | Not yet — EMA review ongoing | Yes (UK) | No | Not available in Ireland | Not in Ireland |
Two things stand out. Only Saxenda has any State cover, and only for a narrow group. And there is no legitimate over-the-counter GLP-1 on this list — the only non-prescription weight-loss medicine licensed in the EU is low-dose orlistat.
How weight-loss medicines work
Most of the names on that list belong to one family: GLP-1 receptor agonists. Semaglutide (Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) mimic a hormone the gut releases after eating, which acts on appetite regulation and slows how quickly the stomach empties. Tirzepatide also activates a second gut-hormone receptor, GIP. Every one of them is licensed as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity — the medicine supports the change, it doesn't replace it. Our GLP-1 explainer goes into the mechanism in plain English.
Orlistat (Xenical and alli) works in the gut instead: it blocks some of the fat you eat from being absorbed, so it passes out undigested — which is also where its side effects come from. Mysimba is different again, a combination of two older medicines that act on brain pathways involved in appetite. If you're weighing the GLP-1 options against each other, our Ozempic vs Mounjaro vs Saxenda comparison covers that head-to-head.
Who qualifies: what the licences say
Eligibility in Ireland is set by each medicine's licence, and the modern weight-management licences use almost identical wording. Mounjaro, Wegovy (injection and tablet), Saxenda and Mysimba are licensed for adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or more (obesity), or 27 to under 30 kg/m² (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity.
The comorbidity examples vary slightly by licence. Mounjaro and Wegovy list prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease; Saxenda and Mysimba list a subset of these.
Orlistat's threshold is slightly different: Xenical is for a BMI of 30 or more, or above 28 with associated risk factors; alli is licensed for adults with a BMI of 28 or more. Wegovy injection and Saxenda also carry adolescent licences (12 and over, with specific weight criteria); the HSE notes Mounjaro cannot be prescribed for children and young people. A BMI threshold is where the conversation starts, not where it ends — the prescriber also has to rule out contraindications and other medicines.
Every medicine in the table except alli is prescription-only, so the route always runs through a doctor and ends at a registered pharmacy.
Did you know you can claim up to 75% back on your health insurance?
See how the claim works →What weight-loss medication costs in Ireland
Because none of the modern medicines are reimbursed, cost is the real question. It has two parts: the medication, which changes with your dose, and the medical care around it — prescriber, dose reviews, monitoring — which a bare pharmacy price never includes.
At Slimbr the first month costs from €229: €180 for the medication at the starting dose plus a €49 service fee that covers your assessment, doctor consultation and treatment set-up, with cold-chain delivery charged separately. From month two the medication is priced by dose and the service fee is €99 a month, or €75 a month if you take the six-month up-front rate. The full dose ladder — Mounjaro from ~€180 to ~€370, Wegovy injection from ~€150 to ~€350, Wegovy tablets from ~€130 to ~€310 — is on our published price list.
Across the Irish market, doctor-led GLP-1 treatment typically runs from under €200 a month for medication alone to around €475 a month all-in at the highest doses on our reading of the Irish market, depending on medicine, dose and what the provider bundles in — see our weight-loss injections cost guide and Mounjaro price comparison. Saxenda, Xenical and Mysimba are priced by individual pharmacies; ask for a quote.
Drugs Payment Scheme, medical card and tax relief
This is where most online answers are wrong, so here is the HSE's position as of September 2026. The Drugs Payment Scheme caps what a household pays for approved medicines at €80 a month — but only medicines on the HSE reimbursement list count. Mounjaro, Wegovy, Xenical and Mysimba are not on it; the HSE states plainly that they are "not covered by the medical card, Long-Term Illness Scheme or Drugs Payment Scheme". A private weight-management prescription is paid in full by you, DPS card or not.
Saxenda is the exception. It is reimbursed for people who meet specific criteria — the HSE lists a BMI of 35 or more alongside other conditions — for an initial period of up to six months, extendable if at least 5% weight loss is achieved. Ozempic is covered on the medical card and Long-Term Illness Scheme only for people with type 2 diabetes. Our HSE and medical card guide tracks the reimbursement position and how to check it.
Two things can reduce the bill. Some Irish health-insurance plans refund part of the doctor consultation, and Revenue's 20% tax relief on qualifying medical expenses can apply to prescribed medication and doctor fees. The insurance and tax-relief guide explains both.
Side effects and safety
These are real medicines with real side effects, listed in full in each patient leaflet. For the GLP-1 family — Mounjaro, Wegovy and Saxenda — the HSE lists constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn and indigestion, stomach cramps, vomiting and fatigue, plus nausea and headaches for Wegovy and Saxenda, and dizziness and low blood pressure for Mounjaro. Each GLP-1 licence starts at a low dose and steps up gradually under a prescriber.
Orlistat's side effects are digestive and specific: fatty or oily stools, urgency, more frequent bowel movements and oily discharge, especially after fatty meals. Mysimba's list includes constipation, nausea, headaches, dizziness, tremor, difficulty sleeping and increased blood pressure, and its licence requires stopping treatment if less than 5% of body weight has been lost after 16 weeks. Similar stop rules exist for Saxenda (12 weeks at the maintenance dose) and Xenical (12 weeks).
None of these medicines suits everyone — pregnancy, breastfeeding, other conditions and other medicines all matter, which is exactly why they are prescription-only. Read the patient leaflet, tell your prescriber everything, and report side effects to the HPRA. Our weight-loss injections in Ireland guide covers the injectable options and their safety information in more detail.
What's coming next: the pipeline
The list is still growing. The Wegovy tablet only got its EU approval in July 2026, and the next candidate is Foundayo (orforglipron), a once-daily GLP-1 tablet the UK's MHRA licensed on 10 August 2026. Its EMA review is ongoing, so it cannot be prescribed in Ireland yet — our Foundayo guide tracks the Irish position, and our weight-loss pill guide covers the wider tablet picture.
Frequently asked questions
Are weight loss tablets available in Ireland?
Yes. As of September 2026 the licensed weight-loss tablets in Ireland are the Wegovy tablet (oral semaglutide, EU-approved July 2026, prescription-only), Mysimba (naltrexone/bupropion, prescription-only) and orlistat — Xenical 120 mg on prescription or alli 60 mg from a pharmacist. Foundayo (orforglipron) is licensed in the UK but not yet in Ireland.
Can you get weight loss injections on the medical card?
Only Saxenda, and only if you meet the HSE's criteria (including a BMI of 35 or more plus other conditions), for an initial period of up to six months. Mounjaro and Wegovy are not covered by the medical card, the Long-Term Illness Scheme or the Drugs Payment Scheme for weight management, so they are paid for privately.
How much is GLP-1 in Ireland?
Medication alone starts at around €130 a month for Wegovy tablets, €150 for the Wegovy injection and €180 for Mounjaro at the starting dose, rising with dose. At Slimbr the first month is from €229 all-in (€180 medication plus a €49 service fee, delivery extra); from month two you pay the dose price plus a €99 monthly service fee, or €75 a month on the six-month up-front rate.
Can my GP prescribe weight-loss medication?
Yes. Any registered Irish GP can prescribe a licensed weight-loss medicine if they judge it clinically appropriate, and the GP route is required for Saxenda reimbursement. A doctor-led online service does the same assessment remotely; either way the prescription is dispensed by a registered pharmacy.
Is there an over-the-counter weight-loss medicine in Ireland?
The only weight-loss medicine licensed in the EU without a prescription is low-dose orlistat (alli 60 mg) for adults with a BMI of 28 or more, through pharmacies where stocked. There is no over-the-counter GLP-1 — any Mounjaro, Wegovy or Ozempic offered without a prescription is unregulated and unsafe.
Which weight-loss medication is strongest or best?
There is no single "best". Each medicine has its own licence, side-effect profile and stop rules, and the right one depends on your BMI, health history, other medicines and a doctor's clinical review. Our Ozempic vs Mounjaro vs Saxenda comparison lays the licensed options side by side, but the decision is made in consultation, not from a list.
What is an appetite suppressant and are they legal in Ireland?
"Appetite suppressant" is an informal label, not a licensed category. The legal, licensed medicines in Ireland that act on appetite are the prescription-only GLP-1 medicines (Mounjaro, Wegovy, Saxenda) and Mysimba. "Natural" or online products sold as appetite suppressants are unregulated and can contain undeclared medicines.
