The side effects of weight loss drugs vary depending on the medication, but the most common are digestive symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and stomach discomfort. Some people may also experience headaches, dizziness, fatigue, or mild increases in heart rate. Injectable medications can cause temporary injection site reactions like redness or swelling. Rare but [...]

Weight loss medication Rx” means prescription-only weight loss medication. The “Rx” symbol comes from the Latin word recipe, meaning “to take,” and it’s used to indicate that a medicine can only be supplied with a doctor’s prescription. In other words, these are treatments that require medical assessment and supervision, rather than over-the-counter products you can [...]

The cost of weight loss medications in Australia can vary widely depending on the type (e.g., prescription vs over-the-counter), dosage, pharmacy, and whether it's subsidised for a related condition like type 2 diabetes. As of November 2025, these are not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) specifically for weight management or obesity, so most [...]

If opting for an online option, simplest  and safest way is to speak to a trusted doctor via telehealth and then if they issue you an electronic prescription, you just take that to your local pharmacy. That way you can also speak to your pharmacist about how to use the medication and any other questions, [...]

This is a common question that patients ask their GPs. If we measure “best” simply by the amount of weight lost, then hormone-based injectables (GLP-1 agonists) generally show the highest efficacy (15-20% loss) for sustained results. Due to Australian law, we’re not allowed to name specific medications here- but these can be discussed during your [...]

In Australia, some weight-loss medications overlap with diabetes treatments, but how and when they’re used depends heavily on the patient’s health profile and on medical supervision. Some medicines originally developed for type 2 diabetes are now also approved for weight management in people without diabetes. These include the GLP-1 receptor agonists (glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues). These [...]

You can obtain some weight‐loss medications or aids in Australia that don’t require a full doctor’s prescription (for example pharmacist-only ones). One example: Orlistat has been available in Australia as a “pharmacist only medicine” (Schedule 3) in some forms, meaning you do not need a full doctor’s prescription, but you do need to go via [...]

To get prescribed weight loss medication in Australia, you’ll generally need to consult a doctor who will assess your BMI, medical history, and lifestyle factors.  For GLP-1 agonists (weight loss injections), you may qualify for medical weight loss injections if your BMI is >30 kg/m²  ( or >27kg/m² with obesity related health conditions such as [...]

Weight loss medication refers to prescription or over-the-counter drugs that assist in managing overweight or obesity by helping reduce body weight, when combined with healthy eating and physical activity. These can target appetite, fat absorption, and/or metabolic hormones.  In Australia, the most commonly prescribed weight loss medications are GLP-1 agonists, which are recommended for adults [...]