Compiled and edited by John Fox. Published
NCPE Wegovy Assessment 25024: What Happens Next at the HSE
Checked 29 October 2026 against the NCPE assessment record and the HSE's obesity-medicines page. No HSE funding decision for Wegovy or Mounjaro had been published.
Summary: On 13 October 2026 the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) completed its full health technology assessment of semaglutide (Wegovy) for adult weight management and recommended that it be considered for reimbursement. That is advice to the HSE, not funding. Wegovy is still not covered by the medical card, the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) or the Long-Term Illness Scheme (LTI), and no decision date has been published.
What the NCPE said
The NCPE assessment record (HTA ID 25024) states that the NCPE "recommends that semaglutide (Wegovy®) be considered for reimbursement for the indication under assessment". The indication is weight management, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, in adults with an initial BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition.
The record also says the budget impact estimates are substantial and that affordability will need to be considered.
| Step | Date | |---|---| | Rapid review commissioned | 21 March 2025 | | Full HTA commissioned by the HSE | 29 May 2025 | | Full submission received from Novo Nordisk | 23 February 2026 | | NCPE assessment completed | 13 October 2026 |
What happens next
The NCPE advises; the HSE decides. The HSE Drugs Group considers the NCPE report and makes a recommendation to HSE senior leadership, who take the final reimbursement decision. Price negotiation with the manufacturer can form part of that process. RTÉ reported on 15 October 2026 that this may take several months. The NCPE points readers to the HSE's pricing and reimbursement tracker for updates.
An NCPE recommendation does not mean a patient can get Wegovy on the medical card or DPS today, and it does not set a start date.
Where Mounjaro stands
The NCPE completed its assessment of tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management (HTA ID 24024) on 3 December 2025. It recommended reimbursement be considered only if cost-effectiveness could be improved relative to existing treatments. RTÉ reported on 14 October 2026 that the HSE Drugs Group had considered Mounjaro and made no recommendation, and that there may be several Drugs Group meetings before one is made.
What patients can get through the HSE today
The HSE's obesity-medicines page says Wegovy and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are not covered by the medical card, LTI or DPS. Saxenda (liraglutide) is the only GLP-1 medicine with an HSE weight-management route, and only for adults who meet the managed-access criteria together (aged 18 to 74, BMI of 35 or more, prediabetes and high cardiovascular risk) with individual approval.
Patients prescribed Wegovy or Mounjaro privately pay for the medicine themselves. Published Irish pharmacy prices are listed by dose, with sources and check dates, on the GLP-1 price list. Prescribed medicines can qualify for tax relief at 20% (how it works).
Questions patients are likely to ask
- "Is Wegovy on the medical card now?" No. The NCPE has recommended it be considered; the HSE has not decided.
- "When will it be funded?" No date has been published, and the HSE may decide not to fund it or to fund it with conditions.
- "Does this cover Mounjaro too?" No. Each medicine and each indication is assessed separately.
- "Does a diabetes approval count?" No. Ozempic funding for type 2 diabetes does not extend to Wegovy for weight management, although both contain semaglutide.
The full status table, with every source and the date each row was checked, is on the HSE reimbursement page. We update this briefing when the HSE publishes a decision.
Sources
- NCPE, Semaglutide (Wegovy) HTA ID 25024, assessment completed 13 October 2026.
- NCPE, Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) HTA ID 24024, completed 3 December 2025.
- NCPE, Interpreting NCPE recommendations.
- HSE, Medicines for obesity, page last reviewed 5 December 2025.
- RTÉ News, 15 October 2026 and 14 October 2026.
GLP-1.ie is an independent information site, not a clinic, pharmacy or prescriber. This briefing reports public records and is not medical advice. To cite it: GLP-1.ie Briefing, "NCPE Wegovy Assessment 25024: What Happens Next at the HSE", 29 October 2026. Corrections: contact us.