Pharmac, the agency responsible for deciding which medicines are publicly funded in New Zealand is currently evaluating two applications to fund Wegovy (semaglutide). So, what’s happening right now, what might change next? Currently Wegovy can be prescribed and purchased online.
Since becoming available in July 2025, Wegovy also known as semaglutide has been prescribed to more than 18,000 people in New Zealand. Pharmac currently does not fund semaglutide for either type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) or weight loss (Wegovy). This means that if you are prescribed semaglutide, you will need to pay for it.
Yes, Pharmac has received three applications to fund semaglutide. These applications will now go through the Pharmac funding process. The applications are:
These three applications will now be assessed by experts, including the specialist Obesity Treatments Advisor Group. As of January 2026, Pharmac is “Seeking Clinical Advice” for all three applications.
Pharmac does not give timeframes on how long it takes for an application to go from being lodged to funded. However, they expect guidance to be published later in January 2026.
Even after clinical advice is finalised, Pharmac must compare the benefit of funding semaglutide against all other medicines it has been asked to fund, within a limited budget.
We can’t know for sure at this stage. However, with Australia adding Wegovy to their Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme for patients with established cardiovascular disease and a BMI of 35 or higher there is a precedent.
Along with making the medicine more affordable and accessible for kiwis, one of the key arguments is the potential savings in taxpayer money down the line in a variety of ways.
We know that New Zealand’s obesity rates are high, and the risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnoea, and cancers are higher for these people. The cost of obesity and its related conditions for New Zealand is in the multi-billion dollar range each year.
Funding Wegovy and making treating obesity with Wegovy an option for more people by removing the significant cost barrier could help to reduce the combined impact of these conditions.
If Pharmac does fund Wegovy in New Zealand, the final eligibility criteria will depend on what applications are accepted. This means that the following groups may be eligible:
Related Articles:
Pharmac | Semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight loss (External Link)
