Medicine record
Who can be prescribed Wegovy or Zepbound in Canada
The Health Canada criteria for each weight-management medicine, and what drug plans add on top.
People often search for a semaglutide or Wegovy "eligibility checklist". There is no single checklist. Three different things decide it: what Health Canada authorized the medicine for, what the prescriber judges for the person in front of them, and what a drug plan agrees to pay for. This page sets out the first and the third, from the official documents.
This page does not assess anyone. Whether a medicine suits a particular person is a clinical decision for a prescriber who knows their history.
What Health Canada authorized
| Product | Who it is authorized for in Canada |
|---|---|
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | Adults with BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition. Teens 12 to under 18 with BMI at or above the 95th percentile, weight over 60 kg and not enough response to diet and activity alone. Also adults with heart disease and BMI 27 or more, to lower heart attack risk R21-C434 |
| Sevmia (generic of Wegovy) | The same weight-management and heart attack groups as Wegovy, without the liver disease use R21-C432 |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Adults with BMI 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition. Also adults with obesity (BMI 30 or more) and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. No use in children R21-C461 |
| Saxenda (liraglutide) | Adults with BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition after an earlier attempt did not work. Teens 12 to under 18 over 60 kg with an adult-equivalent BMI of 30 or more R21-C462 |
In every case the label says the medicine is used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
Ozempic and Mounjaro are not weight-loss medicines in Canada
Ozempic is authorized for type 2 diabetes and for heart and kidney protection in people with diabetes. None of these is a weight-management indication R21-C459. Mounjaro is authorized for type 2 diabetes in adults and in teens 10 and up R21-C460. They contain the same medicines as Wegovy and Zepbound, but the authorization, the doses and the coverage rules are different. Plans treat them differently too: Canada Life, for example, says Ozempic, Rybelsus and Mounjaro are not covered for chronic weight management R43-C27.
What drug plans ask for
Public plans. None of the provincial plans reviewed on this site covers Wegovy, Zepbound or Saxenda for weight management. They cover semaglutide (Ozempic and its generics) for type 2 diabetes only, with criteria. See the coverage record.
Private plans. When a plan covers weight-loss medicines at all, its prior authorization form usually asks for the same BMI thresholds as the label, plus proof of diet and activity and often an earlier weight-loss attempt R43-C26 R43-C28. Renewal usually needs about 5% weight loss kept off R43-C36. Some plans go further: Pacific Blue Cross asks for BMI 40, or 35 with certain conditions R43-C35, and Alberta Blue Cross limits each drug to two trials in a lifetime R43-C32. Every insurer's form is on the prior authorization forms page.
How BMI is worked out
BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. For example, 95 kg at 1.75 m is 95 divided by 3.06, which is about 31. BMI does not measure body fat directly, and some insurers, such as Medavie Blue Cross, also look at waist size R43-C33.
Related pages
- Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound compared
- Generic semaglutide in Canada
- Prior authorization forms for every Canadian insurer
- Online weight-loss services compared and what they charge
Common questions
What BMI do you need for Wegovy in Canada?
The Canadian label covers adults with BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, alongside diet and activity R21-C434.
Can teenagers get Wegovy in Canada?
The label includes ages 12 to under 18 with BMI at or above the 95th percentile and weight over 60 kg R21-C434. Zepbound has no use in children R21-C461.
Is Ozempic approved for weight loss in Canada?
No. Ozempic is authorized for type 2 diabetes and related heart and kidney protection, not weight management R21-C459.
Sources for this page
Every claim ID below is a row in the evidence ledger. The source date is the date the source itself carries; the access date is when the researcher opened it. A claim with several rows is one claim with several sources, not several confirmations.
This table scrolls sideways.
| Claim | What the source says | Source | Source date | Accessed | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R21-C434 | Weight management: adults BMI ≥30, or ≥27 plus comorbidity; ages 12 to <18 with BMI ≥95th percentile, >60 kg and inadequate diet/activity response. Adult nonfatal-MI reduction: established CVD/BMI ≥27. Adult noncirrhotic MASH, fibrosis F2, F3, is conditional. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00082777.PDF | 2025-12-10 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R21-C432 | Weight management: adults BMI ≥30, or ≥27 plus comorbidity; ages 12 to <18 with BMI ≥95th percentile, >60 kg and inadequate diet/activity response. Adult nonfatal-MI risk reduction: established CVD and BMI ≥27. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00085157.PDF | 2026-06-29 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R21-C461 | Adults: chronic weight management (BMI ≥30 or 27 to <30 plus comorbidity) and moderate/severe OSA with obesity (BMI ≥30), alongside reduced calories/activity. OSA indication change 2026-06; no pediatric indication. KwikPen strengths 2.5/5/7.5/10/12.5/15 mg per 0.6 mL. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00084997.PDF | 2026-06-11 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R21-C462 | Chronic weight management in adults BMI ≥30 or ≥27 with comorbidity and failed prior intervention; ages 12 to <18 with >60 kg, adult-equivalent BMI ≥30 and inadequate diet/activity response. 6 mg/mL solution, 3 mL multidose pen; delivered strengths 0.6/1.2/1.8/2.4/3 mg. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00081736.PDF | 2025-09-10 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R21-C459 | Adults: type 2 diabetes glycemic control; MACE reduction with established CVD and/or CKD; renal/CV risk reduction with type 2 diabetes plus CKD. No pediatric indication. These are not weight-management indications. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00085314.PDF | 2026-07-13 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R21-C460 | Type 2 diabetes glycemic control: adults and ages 10 to <18 with specified combinations. Pediatric indication change recorded 2026-06. Presentations: single-dose vial/pen 2.5 to 15 mg per 0.5 mL; KwikPen 2.5 to 15 mg per 0.6 mL delivered, four doses. | pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00085122.PDF | 2026-06-23 | 2026-09-17 | regulator-confirmed |
| R43-C27 | Canada Life's GLP-1 form states that Ozempic, Rybelsus and Mounjaro are not covered for chronic weight management; its current Ozempic form directs weight-management requests to the Wegovy form. | canadalife.com/content/dam/canadalife/documents/forms/you... | form versions 11/23 and 6/26 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C26 | Canada Life's Wegovy prior authorization form M6453 (3/26) says Wegovy is not covered under all benefit plans and lists adult criteria of BMI 30 or more, or 27 to 29 with a comorbidity, at least one failed diet or exercise attempt of 3 to 6 months, and no other GLP-1. | canadalife.com/content/dam/canadalife/documents/forms/you... | form version 3/26 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C28 | Manulife says not all medications are covered by all group benefits plans and that weight-loss drug coverage usually requires BMI over 30, or over 27 with weight-related conditions. | manulife.com/ca/en/business/insights/coverage-for-weight-... | 2024-06-17 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C36 | GreenShield's anti-obesity prior authorization form (also used for Humania, RBC Insurance, First Canadian and Entente Plus plans) gives a 6-month initial approval, with renewal only if at least 5% weight is lost and kept off. | providerconnect.okrx.ca/GREENSHIELD/EN | portal version 2026-06 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C35 | Pacific Blue Cross Wegovy form 0670.010.23 (11/25) requires adults 18 and over, 6 months of diet and activity, BMI 40 or more or 35 or more with hypertension, dyslipidemia or sleep apnea, and no previous Ozempic reimbursement by PBC or PharmaCare; renewal needs 5% weight loss maintained. | pac.bluecross.ca/advicecentre/story/prior-authorization-d... | form version 11/25 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C32 | Alberta Blue Cross employer-plan form ABC 60130 for Saxenda, Contrave, Wegovy and Zepbound allows a maximum of two trials per drug per lifetime. | ab.bluecross.ca/pdfs/special-authorization-request-weight... | form version 2026/05 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |
| R43-C33 | Medavie Blue Cross criteria use waist circumference with BMI 27 to 34.9, or BMI 35 or more, plus obesity-related complications, lifestyle steps and reassessment. | medaviebc.ca/en/insights/posts/beyond-bmi | April 2025 | 2026-10-03 | insurer self-report |