What semaglutide is
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. GLP-1 is a hormone your gut releases after a meal. It tells the pancreas to release insulin, slows the rate at which the stomach empties, and signals the brain that you are full. Semaglutide is a long-acting copy of that hormone, so those signals last all week instead of a few minutes after eating.
The practical effect is that you feel full sooner, stay full longer, and think about food less. Many patients describe it as the constant background noise about food going quiet.
The same molecule is sold under two brand names. Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, and to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with established heart disease and excess weight. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes. The doctor prescribes the one that matches your diagnosis, because that is what your insurer will look at.
How our physicians prescribe it
Semaglutide is started low and increased slowly, which is how the side effects are kept manageable. The standard Wegovy schedule is 0.25 mg once a week for four weeks, then 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 1.7 mg for four weeks each, reaching the 2.4 mg maintenance dose at around week 17. Not everyone needs the top dose. If you are losing weight steadily and feeling well at a lower dose, we may hold there.
You inject it yourself once a week, on the same day each week, under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. The pen is prefilled and our medical assistants teach you at the first visit.
In the trial that led to Wegovy's approval, adults without diabetes lost an average of about 15 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared with around 2 percent on placebo. Results vary from person to person, and the medication works best alongside a higher-protein diet and regular activity. The full program is described on our medical weight loss page.
Does insurance cover it? Some commercial plans cover Wegovy for obesity with prior authorization, and most cover Ozempic for type 2 diabetes. Medicare does not cover medication for weight loss alone as of 2026, though Part D plans may cover Ozempic for diabetes, and some cover Wegovy for patients with established heart disease. Our front desk checks your plan and submits the prior authorization. If the medication is not covered, we explain self-pay options on the call. Read more about insurance and self-pay.
What to expect
- Before you come in, we verify your insurance and ask you to bring photo ID, your medication list and any recent lab results.
- At the consultation, the doctor reviews your history, checks weight, BMI and blood pressure, orders labs if needed, and confirms that semaglutide is safe for you.
- The first dose follows once the prescription is approved. The medical assistant shows you how to use the pen, and you take the remaining doses at home.
- Monthly follow-up tracks weight and side effects, and the doctor decides whether to step the dose up or hold it. Visits can be at Davie or Boynton Beach, whichever is closer.
Side effects and safety
The common side effects are nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and heartburn. They are most noticeable in the first weeks and after each dose increase, and they usually settle. Smaller meals, stopping when you feel full and avoiding fatty food all help. If side effects are hard to live with, we slow the schedule down.
Serious problems are rare but real. Semaglutide carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, seen in rodent studies, and must not be used by anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2. Pancreatitis and gallbladder disease can occur, so severe stomach pain that does not go away needs a call the same day. Combining semaglutide with insulin or a sulfonylurea raises the risk of low blood sugar, and the doctor adjusts those medications first. It should not be used in pregnancy. It can also slow the absorption of oral medication, including birth control pills, so we suggest a non-oral method while the dose is being increased.
A word on compounded semaglutide
Our doctors start with FDA-approved semaglutide, and discuss a compounded product only where it is clinically appropriate for you and permitted under current federal and Florida rules. Compounded products are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness, and we tell you plainly what that means before you decide.
What is the difference between Wegovy and Ozempic?
They contain the same drug, semaglutide. Wegovy is approved and dosed for weight management, up to 2.4 mg a week. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, up to 2 mg a week.
How fast will I lose weight?
Most patients see the scale move within the first month, with the fastest loss once they reach the higher doses. Trial participants lost an average of about 15 percent of body weight over 68 weeks. Results vary.
Do I have to take it forever?
Not necessarily, but weight usually comes back after stopping, because the appetite signals return. Many patients stay on a maintenance dose long term, the way they would for blood pressure.
What if my insurance denies the prior authorization?
We appeal where there are grounds, and we explain the self-pay option if the appeal fails.
Which clinic offers semaglutide?
Both. Davie serves Broward County and Boynton Beach serves Palm Beach County, and the same physicians run the program at each.