Wegovy Pill (Semaglutide Tablets): What the Label Says

Short answer: The Wegovy® (semaglutide) pill is the tablet form of Wegovy. Its label says to take one tablet by mouth once a day, on an empty stomach in the morning, with up to 4 ounces of plain water, and to wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking anything else or taking other oral medicines. It is prescribed for adults. This page summarizes what the label and Medication Guide say, including who should not take it, what the trial reported, and how the tablets are stored. It does not cover strengths or how a prescriber adjusts them.

What is the Wegovy pill?

The label on DailyMed (effective June 18, 2026) covers two forms under one name: Wegovy injection and Wegovy tablets. The FDA-hosted original tablet label is dated December 2025. The medicine in both is semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. For what that class does, see What is a GLP-1?.

Who is the Wegovy pill for?

The label says Wegovy tablets are indicated, together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity:

• to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight; and
• to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity, or in adults with overweight who have at least one weight-related condition.

The Medication Guide says it is not known whether Wegovy tablets are safe and effective in people under 18. The label also says not to use Wegovy tablets or injection with other semaglutide-containing products or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist.

How is the Wegovy pill taken?

Section 2 of the label says:

• Take one tablet by mouth once daily on an empty stomach in the morning with water (up to 4 ounces). Do not take it with other liquids.
• Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush, chew or dissolve it.
• Do not take more than one tablet per day.
• After taking a tablet, wait at least 30 minutes before eating food, drinking beverages or taking other oral medications.

The label sets a stepwise schedule of tablet strengths. Your prescriber manages that schedule, so it is not covered here. For what to do about a missed tablet, follow your Medication Guide and your prescriber.

Why does the label say to take it on an empty stomach?

Section 12.3 says the tablet is co-formulated with an ingredient called SNAC that facilitates absorption, and that absorption of semaglutide “predominantly occurs in the stomach.” In the studies it describes, absorption was higher after a longer fasting period following the dose, and higher with 50 mL of water than with 240 mL. These findings sit behind the water limit and the 30-minute wait. If your morning routine makes the steps hard to follow, ask your prescriber or pharmacist.

What side effects does the label report?

The tablet safety data comes from one trial (Study 7) in 204 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related condition, treated with the tablet for up to 64 weeks. People with type 2 diabetes were excluded. From Section 6.1:

Reported in the tablet trial	Wegovy tablets	Placebo
Stopped treatment permanently because of side effects	6.9%	5.9%
Stopped because of stomach and intestinal side effects (the most common reason)	3.4%	2%
Severe stomach and intestinal side effects (Section 5.6)	2%	0%
Gallstones (cholelithiasis, Section 5.3)	2.5%	1%
Altered skin sensations (dysesthesia)	5%	none

The label says the types and frequency of common side effects in the tablet trial “were similar to those listed in Table 3,” which is the injection table. In that table nausea was 44% on the injection vs 16% on placebo, diarrhea 30% vs 16%, vomiting 24% vs 6%, and constipation 24% vs 11%. The tablet trial was much smaller than the injection trials and ran under a different design, so these figures show what the label reports and are not a head-to-head comparison. For more on each effect, see GLP-1 side effects.

The label opens with a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors: in rodents, semaglutide caused them, and it is unknown whether it does in people. Wegovy is contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in people with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), and in people with a prior serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any ingredient.

How is the tablet different from the Wegovy injection?

	Wegovy tablets	Wegovy injection
How often	Once daily	Once weekly
How it goes in	By mouth, swallowed whole, with up to 4 ounces of plain water	Under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm
Food and other medicines	Empty stomach in the morning; wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking or other oral medicines	With or without meals, any time of day
Who it is indicated for	Adults (heart risk reduction; weight reduction)	Adults and, for weight reduction, children 12 and older; also adults with a certain liver condition (MASH)
Safety trial in the label	Study 7: 204 adults, up to 64 weeks	Three trials: 2,116 adults, up to 68 weeks
Storage	Room temperature, in the original bottle	Refrigerator, in the original carton

See GLP-1 pills vs shots for the tablet next to the Foundayo® (orforglipron) tablet label. The Wegovy label also has a section on switching between the tablet and the injection; that is a decision for your prescriber.

Does the Wegovy pill interact with other medicines?

Section 7.2 says Wegovy delays gastric emptying, which can affect how oral medicines are absorbed. In a drug interaction study with the tablet, levothyroxine exposure rose 33%. The label says to monitor the effects of oral medicines taken with Wegovy, with more monitoring for medicines with a narrow therapeutic index. The Medication Guide tells you to keep a list of your medicines and to tell your prescriber if you take diabetes medicines such as insulin or a sulfonylurea. Because the tablet itself comes with a 30-minute wait before other oral medicines, ask your pharmacist how your daily medicines fit around it.

How should the tablets be stored?

Section 16 says to store the tablets at 68°F to 77°F (excursions to 59°F to 86°F are permitted), in the original bottle, in a dry place away from moisture. Bottles hold 30 tablets. This differs from the injection, which is stored in the refrigerator. For pens, see Storing and traveling with GLP-1 pens.

Does Medicare cover the Wegovy pill?

Medicare.gov lists Wegovy, “injection or tablet,” among the drugs covered under the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge from July 1, 2026. The rules are dated, so see Does Medicare cover GLP-1 drugs? and check Medicare.gov.

How can you keep track?

A daily pill is easy to forget and easy to doubt later. A simple note of the time you took it and how you felt helps at appointments. Weeko, a shot tracker coming to iPhone and Android, is being built around this kind of simple log. It is a logbook, not medical guidance.

When to call your doctor

Talk with your prescriber before you start if you have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys, have type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathy, are scheduled for surgery or a procedure with anesthesia or deep sedation, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding (the Medication Guide says breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Wegovy tablets). Call right away if you have severe stomach pain that will not go away, with or without nausea or vomiting, or a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath. Get emergency help for signs of a serious allergic reaction. If you take too much, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or go to the nearest emergency room.