Blog · Weight Loss
Semaglutide is a prescription-only medicine, so every path to it runs through a clinician. This guide explains how to get semaglutide step by step: who qualifies under the label, how the BMI requirements work, who should not take it, what happens at a prescription visit, and how getting tirzepatide compares. It comes from MeliOra Elite Wellness in Lutz, where board-certified family physician Dr. Melanie Espinet evaluates and prescribes for every medical weight loss patient herself.
Two points matter more than any shortcut. First, the NIH advises buying weight-management medicine from a pharmacy or online distributor your health care professional approves. Second, a prescription is the start of care, not the end of it. The Wegovy label starts the weekly semaglutide injection at 0.25 mg and raises the dose every 4 weeks, so the first months are a series of check-ins, not a single visit.
Semaglutide is sold under different brand names for different uses. Wegovy, the brand labeled for weight management, lists these uses alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity:
| Wegovy label use | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| Weight reduction and long-term maintenance | Adults with obesity, or adults with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition |
| Weight reduction in teens | Ages 12 and older with obesity |
| Lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related death | Adults with established heart or blood vessel disease and either obesity or overweight |
| A fatty liver disease called MASH | Adults with moderate to advanced liver scarring, without cirrhosis |
Ozempic, another semaglutide brand, is labeled for adults with type 2 diabetes. Our comparison of Wegovy vs. Ozempic explains how the two brands differ. Whatever you have read online, Dr. Espinet prescribes semaglutide or tirzepatide and explains your specific medication at your visit.
BMI, or body mass index, estimates whether your weight is in a healthy range for your height. The NIH defines overweight as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher. For weight-management medicine, the NIH puts the threshold simply: a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with a weight-related health problem such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Most of the weight trials behind the Wegovy and Zepbound labels enrolled adults on the same terms.
To find your number, multiply your weight in pounds by 703, then divide by your height in inches squared. Or use this chart, which shows where a BMI of 27 and a BMI of 30 begin at common heights:
| Height | BMI 27 | BMI 30 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 0 in | 138 lb | 154 lb |
| 5 ft 2 in | 148 lb | 164 lb |
| 5 ft 4 in | 157 lb | 175 lb |
| 5 ft 6 in | 167 lb | 186 lb |
| 5 ft 8 in | 178 lb | 197 lb |
| 5 ft 10 in | 188 lb | 209 lb |
| 6 ft 0 in | 199 lb | 221 lb |
| 6 ft 2 in | 210 lb | 234 lb |
Examples named by the NIH and in the label trials include high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other blood fat problems, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart disease. Your physician decides which of your conditions count.
BMI is a starting point, not a verdict. The NIH notes that it does not directly measure body fat: a very muscular person can have a high BMI without much fat, and older adults tend to lose muscle and gain fat as they age. That is why a physician weighs your BMI alongside your history, and why the GLP-1 eligibility check on our weight loss page is a first read, not a decision.
Meeting the BMI criteria does not make semaglutide right for you. The Wegovy label says not to use it if:
The label’s Medication Guide also asks you to tell your health care provider about other conditions, and the label warns about a few more. Tell the clinician who evaluates you about any of these:
For what to expect once you start, see our guide to semaglutide side effects.
A good first visit is a medical evaluation, not a sales call. Expect your clinician to:
Bring a list of your medications and doses, any recent lab results, and the name and dose of any GLP-1 you have taken before. If you have tried weight-loss medicine in the past, say what happened, including side effects.
In Florida, you can see a prescriber in person or by telehealth. Whichever route you choose, look for a live evaluation with a licensed clinician, lab work that someone actually reviews, and one named person who adjusts your dose. Our comparison of concierge vs. online GLP-1 programs lists the questions worth asking.
At MeliOra, GLP-1 telehealth covers semaglutide and tirzepatide weight loss for patients anywhere in Florida. You meet Dr. Espinet herself on a secure video visit. She orders your lab work and tells you where to have it drawn, and your medication and supplies ship to your home. Follow-ups happen by video with the same physician, at the same monthly price as a house call. Dr. Espinet is licensed to practice medicine in Florida, so you need to be in Florida during each video visit.
Getting tirzepatide follows the same steps: an evaluation, a prescription if it fits, and a slow start. Zepbound, the tirzepatide brand labeled for weight management, covers adults with obesity, or adults with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition. It is also labeled for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Unlike Wegovy, the Zepbound label covers adults only.
The Zepbound label starts tirzepatide at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks, then raises it in 2.5 mg steps no sooner than every 4 weeks. Its safety screening mirrors semaglutide’s, including the thyroid cancer history above. If you are deciding between the two medicines, our guide to semaglutide vs. tirzepatide compares them side by side.
At MeliOra Elite Wellness, every GLP-1 plan starts with Dr. Espinet herself. You can choose a house call at your home or office anywhere in our Tampa Bay service area, a select appointment at the Lutz office, or a secure video visit from anywhere in Florida. There is no consultation or assessment fee, and no travel fee for house calls.
If semaglutide is right for you, it starts at $150/month, with higher dosing at $240/month. Tirzepatide runs $230/month to $320/month. That monthly price includes physician visits, lab work, medication and supplies, dose adjustments, and check-ins. If Dr. Espinet decides a GLP-1 is not right for you, she tells you at that first visit. For the full breakdown, see what medical weight loss costs in Lutz, or read more about semaglutide in Lutz and Tampa.
You get semaglutide with a prescription from a licensed clinician, after an evaluation of your health history, medications, and weight. If it fits, you start at a low weekly dose and increase it step by step, with follow-ups along the way. At MeliOra, that evaluation can be a house call in Tampa Bay, a Lutz office visit, or a video visit anywhere in Florida.
Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, generally qualify for semaglutide for weight management. A clinician still has to review your history, because some conditions, such as a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, rule it out.
You generally need a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health condition. For someone 5 feet 6 inches tall, that is about 186 pounds, or about 167 pounds with a condition such as high blood pressure.
Usually not for weight management, because the weight-management criteria start at a BMI of 27 with a weight-related condition. Semaglutide has other labeled uses, such as type 2 diabetes under the Ozempic brand, which follow different criteria. A physician can review your situation and explain what fits.
You can get a semaglutide prescription in Florida through an in-person or telehealth visit with a licensed clinician who evaluates you first. At MeliOra, Dr. Espinet sees patients at home or work across Tampa Bay, at the Lutz office, or by secure video anywhere in Florida, as long as you are in Florida during the visit.
No. MeliOra has no consultation or assessment fee for GLP-1 weight loss. Once you start, one monthly price covers physician visits, lab work, medication and supplies, dose adjustments, and check-ins.
You get tirzepatide the same way as semaglutide: a prescription after an evaluation by a licensed clinician. Zepbound, its weight-management brand, is labeled for adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition, and for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.
Bring a list of every medication and supplement you take, with doses, and your health history, including any thyroid, pancreas, gallbladder, or kidney problems. Add the name and dose of any GLP-1 you have taken before, and recent lab results if you have them.
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