Wegovy PBS Australia — What Patients Need to Know in 2026

In December 2025, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended Wegovy for a PBS listing for a specific group:

Adults with established cardiovascular disease (eCVD) and obesity — specifically those who have already experienced a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, stroke, or have symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.

The PBAC specified that PBS access is limited to people with a BMI of 35 kg/m² or higher, or 32.5 kg/m² or higher for people of Asian, Aboriginal, or Torres Strait Islander ethnicity.

This is an authority-required listing — meaning GPs and specialists must apply for PBS authority to prescribe Wegovy under this indication, confirming the patient meets the criteria.

The December 2025 PBAC recommendation is narrow. The following groups do not currently qualify for PBS-subsidised Wegovy:

• Adults with obesity alone (no cardiovascular event history)
• Adults using Wegovy purely for weight management without eCVD
• Adults prescribed Wegovy for MASH treatment under the new TGA indication
• Type 2 diabetes patients who want Wegovy (Ozempic is PBS-listed for T2D — Wegovy is not)

Health Minister Mark Butler committed to listing Wegovy on the PBS following the PBAC recommendation, but acknowledged that because more than 400,000 Australians are currently spending as much as $4,000 or $5,000 a year on weight loss medications, price negotiations with Novo Nordisk will take time.

Broad PBS subsidy for obesity — without the cardiovascular disease requirement — is not currently available and is not expected before late 2026 at the earliest, based on the current negotiation timeline.

For the majority of Australians who do not meet the narrow eCVD criteria, Wegovy remains a private prescription:

Wegovy injection is available at Australian pharmacies with a private prescription, with the current private prescription cost approximately $395 a month at the maintenance dose, though this varies by dose and pharmacy.

Once Wegovy is formally listed on the PBS for eligible patients, the maximum price cap of $31.60 per prescription ($7.70 for concession card holders) will apply — a dramatic reduction from current private costs.

In April 2026, the TGA provisionally approved Wegovy for a new indication: treatment of adults with non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (stages F2–F3). This is entirely separate from the weight management PBS pathway.

The PBS reimbursement pathway for the MASH indication is currently being evaluated separately. Patients prescribed Wegovy specifically for MASH treatment by a hepatologist or gastroenterologist are in a different regulatory category to those using it for weight management.

If you have been prescribed Wegovy for MASH treatment, ask your prescribing specialist about the current subsidy status for this indication specifically — as the MASH pathway is evolving rapidly.

If you have type 2 diabetes and also have MASLD, Ozempic prescribed for diabetes is PBS-subsidised and will provide real liver benefit. If your liver disease has progressed to confirmed MASH at F2–F3 fibrosis, upgrading to Wegovy at 2.4mg is clinically supported — but currently at private cost unless the MASH PBS pathway is approved.

Wegovy is available at Australian pharmacies via private prescription from a GP or specialist. To obtain a prescription:

• Your GP or specialist must confirm you meet the TGA criteria — BMI ≥30 with a weight-related comorbidity, or BMI ≥27 with cardiovascular disease
• A telehealth consultation with an AHPRA-registered prescriber is also valid
• Cold-chain delivery is required — Wegovy must be refrigerated

Do not use compounded semaglutide. The TGA has explicitly warned against unapproved compounded semaglutide products, which are not regulated for safety or efficacy. Always obtain Wegovy from a TGA-registered manufacturer through a licensed Australian pharmacy.