Wegovy availability in local pharmacies - how is supply meeting the demand?
Wegovy, a popular weight management medication, has been on the market in the UK for over a year now. During this time availability has been growing, but are we still seeing availability issues with these medicines in pharmacies across the UK? This injectable prescription drug, containing semaglutide, has garnered substantial interest from individuals seeking effective weight management. But has the supply been able to meet the demands?
Trends among online searches gaining volume recently show there have been increased volumes of people checking for availability of Wegovy in local pharmacies. We have looked into these trends to try and find out more about supply and demand of this increasingly popular product.
Availability and Online Search Trends
The launch of Wegovy in the UK in September 2023 was described as "controlled and limited," with stock availability being restricted. While some online pharmacies and weight loss programs reported having Wegovy in stock, the availability has been inconsistent and is also prone to change rapidly. Specifically during the later parts of 2023 you could see across forums and groups online that people were having issues getting hold of the product locally, with many of them turning to online pharmacies to be able to buy them.
As we move on through 2024 the increasing availability of Wegovy in local pharmacies also correlates with a notable rise in online searches for weight loss solutions and where to get them.
Google Trends data additionally reveals that interest in weight loss tends to peak in January and during summer months, coinciding with New Year's resolutions and preparation for beach season.
Searches for specific weight loss medications have surged as well. For example, searches for 'Ozempic', another semaglutide-based medication designed to treat people with type 2 diabetes, exploded by 865% in the UK as of May 14, 2024. These trend indicates a growing public interest in these types of medical interventions and weight management.
Analyses of Google Trends also indicate that search interest in Mounjaro began to surpass that of Wegovy around April 2024, suggesting a shift in public curiosity and demand for this specific brand. Currently Mounjaro has gained notable popularity over Wegovy. With online pharmacies in general reporting that Mounjaro accounts for approximately 70% of their weight management sales, despite starter doses being priced up to 40% higher than Wegovy on average.[1]
Conclusion
The increased availability of Wegovy in UK pharmacies represents a significant development in the weight management landscape. As reflected in online search trends, there is a growing public interest in and demand for effective weight loss solutions.
While specific testimonials are of course not visible in the search results, the overall picture of availability suggests that some individuals may indeed have experienced challenges in finding Wegovy at their local pharmacies due to these supply constraints and distribution limitations. Especially at time of launch and directly after.
With January normally being a big month for weight loss trends, we could see a rise in demand put strain on the supply this next year as well.
Anyone interested in Wegovy or any other weight management treatment should always make sure to consult a healthcare professional first to obtain advice and information on if a treatment is right for them before starting any new weight management treatment.
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