Weight Loss
14 min read
Written by Klarity Editorial Team
Published: Jul 5, 2024
Medically Reviewed by Klarity Editorial Team
Saxenda (liraglutide) is a popular prescription medication for weight loss. If you’re considering taking it, you may be wondering how to see if it’s right for you and where to get a prescription online. In this article, learn everything you need to know about how to get Saxenda online in 6 simple steps.
Need to lose weight and wondering about medication? Find a provider on Klarity and book an appointment to discuss medication-managed weight loss.
The first step to getting Saxenda online is to find a healthcare provider who can prescribe weight loss medications. Saxenda is a prescription drug, meaning you need a valid prescription from a board-certified, licensed healthcare provider to get it. Your provider can prescribe Saxenda if you’re an adult with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obesity), or 27 or greater (overweight) with at least 1 weight-related health condition. It’s also approved for children 12 and older who weigh over 132 pounds and have a BMI of 30 or greater.
Providers who can prescribe weight loss drugs, like Saxenda, include licensed physicians (MDs), physician assistants/associates (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs). See your current provider or find a weight loss specialist on marketplace services, like Klarity. Providers on Klarity offer comprehensive weight loss support, including medication and treatment plans, online — or in-person, if you prefer.
The next step to get Saxenda for weight loss online is to meet your healthcare provider in a virtual appointment.
In your initial appointment, your provider will assess your health and weight loss needs to determine whether weight loss medication, like Saxenda, is right for you. They may also order lab tests that you’ll need to do in person to rule out other diagnoses or issues before prescribing Saxenda.
Step 3 to getting Saxenda online is to get it prescribed. If you meet the FDA-approved criteria for use and your healthcare provider thinks it’s safe and effective for you, they can give you a prescription for Saxenda.
If you have a prescription for Saxenda and want health insurance to cover it, you likely need preauthorization. This is the next step to getting Saxenda online. Preauthorization is a process insurance companies use to lower their costs and make sure a prescribed medication or treatment is medically necessary.
To get preauthorization (also known as prior authorization), work with your healthcare provider to submit a request to your insurance company. Your provider likely has a process in place for this. They’ll work directly with your insurance company to get your preauthorization request approved. They’ll also help you appeal a prior authorization denial if needed.
Once you have prior authorization approval, you can get Saxenda with insurance.
The fifth step to getting Saxenda online is understanding potential supply challenges. You may not be able to get your medication, even if you’re prescribed it, if pharmacies don’t have it in stock. Due to Saxenda’s effectiveness for weight loss, it’s a popular medication and the manufacturer has a hard time keeping up with the demand for it.
At the time of publication, the FDA lists limited availability of the 6 milligram/milliliter dose of Saxenda. To check for shortages, search the FDA Drug Shortages list for liraglutide, Saxenda’s active ingredient.
The final step to getting Saxenda online is to get it from an online or local pharmacy. Online pharmacies will deliver your medication to your door, as will local pharmacies that offer home delivery. Once you have your medication, you can start taking Saxenda.
If you can’t find Saxenda in stock, talk to your healthcare provider about what to do. They may know of a pharmacy that has it or suggest alternatives that are readily available.
One alternative is to get a compounded version of Saxenda — compounded liraglutide. Compounded medications are custom-made for individual patients. While available all the time, many people turn to compounded medications when the brand-name is in shortage. You’ll need a prescription for compounded liraglutide from your healthcare provider to get it.
Other alternatives to Saxenda include weight loss injections Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide). Compare Wegovy vs Zepbound to find out more.
Saxenda is a popular prescription medication that may be in shortage or has limited availability. You can get it online in 6 simple steps.
If you can’t find Saxenda in stock, there are alternatives you can try. Talk to your healthcare provider about which is right for you.
If you’re considering medication to help you lose weight, talk to a medical professional today. You can find a weight loss provider on Klarity and book an appointment to discuss weight loss medication in just a few clicks. And often have an appointment in 24 hours or less.
Yes, the 6 milligram/milliliter dose of Saxenda has limited availability, according to the FDA Drug Shortages list at the time of publication. You can browse the list yourself, just search for Saxenda’s active ingredient, liraglutide.
You can lose up to 10% of your body weight on Saxenda. In clinical trials, participants taking liraglutide for weight loss lost at least 5%, and sometimes up to 10%, of their starting body weight over 56 weeks.
To qualify for Saxenda, you need to be an adult with a BMI of 30 or greater (obesity), or 27 or greater (overweight) with at least 1 weight-related health condition. It’s also approved for children 12 and older with a body weight over 132 pounds and a BMI of 30 or greater. Saxenda is meant to be used alongside a healthy diet and exercise routine.
A 1-month supply of Saxenda costs $1,430 on average, according to drugs.com and with its discount card applied. You may pay less with insurance coverage or other savings options, such as coupons. You can get coupons from websites like GoodRx, drugs.com, SingleCareRx, OptumPerks, and WellRx.
Saxenda and Wegovy (semaglutide) are both weight loss injections that are FDA-approved alongside diet and exercise for adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related health condition. They’re also approved for use in children 12 and older who meet certain BMI and body weight criteria.
They have different active ingredients and dosages, but they cost about the same — around $1,430 per month. One key difference is how much weight you can lose on Saxenda vs Wegovy. You can lose up to 14.9% of your starting body weight with Wegovy, compared to up to 10% with Saxenda.
Saxenda and Zepbound (tirzepatide) are both weight loss injections. They’re both approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or greater (obesity), or 27 or greater (overweight) with at least 1-weight related health condition. Saxenda is also approved to treat children over 12 who meet certain weight and BMI criteria.
When comparing Saxenda vs Zepbound, note that they have different active ingredients and belong to slightly different drug classes. They work similarly, but Zepbound can lead to more weight loss — up to 20.9% of your starting body weight according to clinical trial data. You’ll also pay around $300 less each month for Zepbound.
Sources
Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs, What is Prior Authorization?, Amanda DiMarzo, Dec. 2020, https://www.priorauthtraining.org/prior-authorization/
DailyMed, Label: Saxenda- liraglutide injection solution, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=3946d389-0926-4f77-a708-0acb8153b143
DailyMed, Label: Wegovy- semaglutide injection solution, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b
DailyMed, Label: Zepbound- tirzepatide injection solution, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b
drugs.com, Saxenda Price Guide, https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/saxenda
drugs.com, Wegovy Price Guide, https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/wegovy
drugs.com, Zepbound Price Guide, https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/zepbound
JAMA Network, Continued Treatment with Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults with Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial, Louis J. Aronne, MD, et.al., Dec. 2023, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2812936
StatPearls Publishing, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists, Logan Collins and Ryan A. Costello, Jan. 2024, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/
The New England Journal of Medicine, A Randomized, Controlled Trial of 3.0 mg of Liraglutide in Weight Management, Xavier Pi-Sunyer, MD, et al., Jul. 2015, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1411892
The New England Journal of Medicine, Once-weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity, John P.H. Wilding, DM, et al., Feb. 2021, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Drug Shortages, https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health.
How we reviewed this article: This article goes through rigorous fact-checking by a team of medical reviewers. Reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the author.
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