The Wegovy Pill is Here – Everything Arizona Women Need to Know

The Big Announcement

On December 22, 2025, the FDA officially approved the Wegovy® pill (oral semaglutide), the first and only once-daily oral GLP-1 therapy cleared for chronic weight management.

At Phoenix NP, we know that many of our Arizona patients have been waiting for a needle-free option. Whether it’s due to a phobia of injections or a busy lifestyle that makes traveling with pens difficult, the "needle factor" is no longer a barrier. We are proud to bring this revolutionary, convenient option to our patients immediately.

What is the Wegovy® Pill?

The Wegovy® pill contains the same active ingredient—semaglutide—as the well-known Wegovy® or Ozempic® injection. By mimicking the natural GLP-1 hormone, it targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite. For women managing PCOS or insulin resistance, this medication addresses the metabolic roots of weight gain by improving insulin sensitivity and quieting "food noise." For more details on how Wegovy works, read our page on "What is Wegovy?".

How to Take the Wegovy® Pill

Instead of a once a week injection, the Wegovy® pill is taken once a day every morning. Because the Wegovy® pill is a protein-based medication, it is fragile. To ensure your body absorbs it correctly, you must follow these three golden rules:

1. The Empty Stomach Rule: Take your pill the moment you wake up on an empty stomach.

2. The "Sip" Rule: Swallow the tablet whole with up to 4 ounces (max) of plain water. Do not crush, chew, or dissolve the pill.

3. The 30-Minute Wait: Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking (including coffee), or taking other medications. This allows time for the pill to be absorbed properly by your body to be effective.

Do not take more than 1 pill per day. If you miss a dose, the missed dose should be skipped, and the next dose should be taken the following day.

The Journey: Your Titration Schedule

We don't jump straight to the highest dose. At Phoenix NP, we use a gradual "titration" schedule to help your body adjust:

• Start Low: You will begin on a starting dose (typically 1.5 mg) for at least one full month. Everyone reacts to medications differently so it is important that you start at the lowest dosage possible to allow your body to get used to the medication and gauge your body's response to it.

• Step Up as Tolerated: If you are feeling good and your body is responding well, we increase the dose every 30 days. The pills are packaged in a bottle of 30, so you should speak to your provider before your first prescription runs out, so that you can discuss your tolerance of the medication and see if increasing the dosage on the next refill is right for you.

• Personalized Pace: You do not have to reach the maximum 25 mg dose to see results. Like most of the injectable GLP-1 medications, most patients do not need to be at the maximum dosages to see great results. At Phoenix NP, we monitor your progress and may keep you at a mid-level dose if you are losing weight effectively with minimal side effects. Your comfort is our priority and is key for long term sustainable weight loss.

Be wary of any provider increasing your dosage "just because" when you're losing weight at a healthy pace (generally 0.5-2 lbs per week, depending on your body weight and size). Increasing the dosage too fast or unnecessarily can result in increased side effects without any added benefit in weight loss. That is why it is important to use a provider that is familiar with prescribing and managing patients with GLP-1 medications.

Injection vs. Pill: Which is Right for You?

• Convenience: The pill is shelf-stable (no refrigeration) and travel-friendly, making it easier to carry especially if you are used to carrying other daily medications. The injectable medication requires refrigeration, but taken only once a week, so it may be easier to work your injection day around any travel plans, but if you do need to take it during your trip, you will need to plan for keeping the medication cool throughout travel and refrigeration plans at your destination.

• Consistency: The injection is once-weekly, allowing you to only really think about your medication once a week, while the pill requires a strict daily morning habit. The injection allows for a consistent amount of the medication to be injected and absorbed in your body throughout the week. The pill's strict daily requirements to ensure proper absorption can lead to decreased absorption rates if not adhered to, but because they are daily you can ensure a proper routine the next day.

• The Routine: For some, the regular habit of taking the pill in the morning may be easier to maintain consistently and work within your normal daily routine. If you take other morning medications, such as thyroid medication, that also requires to be taken on an empty stomach without anything else to allow for proper absorption, then this could result in an hour or longer to stack these medications each morning. If you have these other early morning medications, or trouble remembering to take other daily medication, then the injection might work better for you.

• Needles/Injection: Obviously, the biggest benefit of the Wegovy® pill is that you do not need to inject yourself with a needle, unlike many of the other FDA-approved GLP-1 medications. If you are uncomfortable injecting yourself but still want a FDA-approved GLP-1 medication to help you lose weight, the Wegovy® pill is a clinically proven safe and effective option.

Results: How Effective is the Pill vs. the Injection?

One of the most exciting parts of the FDA approval is that the pill's effectiveness rivals the original injection.

• The Wegovy® Pill: In the OASIS 4 clinical trial, participants who adhered to the daily 25 mg pill achieved an average weight loss of 16.6% over 64 weeks.

• The Wegovy® Injection: In the landmark STEP 1 clinical trial, patients using the 2.4 mg weekly injection lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks, vs 2.4% with the placebo group.

Essentially, the Wegovy® pill provides a "needle-free" experience without sacrificing the clinical power that has made semaglutide a household name. For additional resources, you can review Novo Nordisk's Resources for US Health Care Professionals.

Side Effects and Safety

Like the injection, the most common side effects are gastrointestinal, such as nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. These are usually temporary and occur most often when you first start or increase your dose. Our team provides nutritional coaching to help you mitigate these symptoms as many of these symptoms can be successfully managed through diet and lifestyle modifications.

Wegovy® causes a delay of gastric emptying and has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. Monitor the effects of oral medications concomitantly administered with Wegovy® and make sure to discuss other medications with your providers when taking any GLP-1 medications.

If you would like to review the official Prescribing Information, including the Boxed Warning, you can review it on the Novo Nordisk website or click here.

Who is a Candidate?

The Wegovy® pill is indicated for adults with a BMI of 30+, or 27+ with a weight-related condition. At Phoenix NP, we specialize in treating women of various ages and whose weight may be impacted by hormonal imbalances.

Wegovy® is not indicated to treat hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia. Wegovy® is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC (Medullary Thyroid Cancer) or in patients with MEN 2 (Multiple ENdocrine Neoplasia Type 2), and in patients with a prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or to any of the excipients in Wegovy®. Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema have been reported with Wegovy®

Pricing: Understanding Your Investment

At Phoenix NP, we believe in price transparency. Because the Wegovy® pill was just approved in December 2025, the "cost" can vary depending on your insurance and how you choose to pay. Here is the current breakdown:

• Checking Your Insurance: As this is a brand-new FDA approval, many insurance providers are currently updating their "formularies" (the list of drugs they cover). It may take several months for the Wegovy® pill to be added to standard plans. We recommend calling your insurance provider to ask if "oral semaglutide for weight loss" is covered under your specific policy. Then if your insurance provider does cover it, you'll need to understand their requirements and find a provider willing to work with their prior authorization process, if necessary. This can be a long and slow process, but result in a lot of savings depending on how much your insurance covers.

• Commercial Savings Cards: If you do have commercial insurance that covers the medication, you may be eligible for a manufacturer savings card that can bring your co-pay down to as little as $25 per month. This may still require a prior authorization attempt from your healthcare provider, with a rejection from your healthcare provider after the prescription is sent in. So you may only find out if you can apply the commercial savings card at time of purchase with the pharmacy and limitations may apply for how long the savings card can be used.

• The Novo Nordisk "Direct Pay" Option: For those without insurance coverage or those who prefer to bypass the "red tape" of prior authorizations, Novo Nordisk has introduced a direct-to-consumer pharmacy model.

  • Starter Dose Offer: At the time of this post, for a limited time, the starting doses (1.5 mg and 4 mg) are available for as little as $149 per month for eligible self-pay patients.

  • Maintenance Doses: As you titrate up to higher doses (9 mg or 25 mg), the standard self-pay price is expected to be approximately $299 per month.

  
  

If you are interested in the Novo Nordisk Direct Pay option, Phoenix NP is here to help you. We regularly prescribe to Novo Nordisk's direct pharmacy, NovoCare, for Wegovy®, and Eli Lilly's direct pharmacy, Lilly Direct, for Zepbound®. The process to get started with Phoenix NP saves a lot of time as everything is performed through telehealth and all of the forms and initial consultation can be done very quickly, usually resulting in your prescription being sent within 1-2 days of your decision to start with us.

How to Get Started at Phoenix NP

If you are a woman living in the State of Arizona and are interested in seeing if the Wegovy® pill, or a different FDA-Approved GLP-1 medication, is right for you to help you achieve your weight loss goals, here are the steps:

1. Free Introduction Call (optional): Book a free, no-obligation telehealth meeting (phone or video call) through our website, to have any of your questions answered and to see if you are a candidate.

2. Services Sign Up: Sign up to be a patient with us through our Plans and Pricing page or during your Free Introduction Call with our provider.

3. New Patient Intake and Initial Consultation: We'll create a patient portal account and send you new patient intake forms to fill out electronically. Once these are complete, you will have your official Initial Consultation with our licensed provider to go over your medication history and prescribe your medication of choice.

4. Home Delivery: We send your prescription to the manufacturer direct pharmacies that provide the authentic, FDA-approved versions of the medication. They will send you a medication payment processing link, confirm your personal details, and ship your medication directly to your Arizona home.

5. Ongoing Support: Use our patient portal website or app to message your provider and schedule follow up appointments as needed.

Receiving services through us at Phoenix NP covers all appointments, medication teaching, messages, dietary and lifestyle guidance, follow-ups, and support, all included within your monthly subscription price.

Conclusion

The Wegovy® pill offers a new chapter in metabolic health and weight management. If you are ready to see if this oral option is your path to success, Book a free, no-obligation telehealth meeting (phone or video call) through our website or visit our Plans and Pricing page.