What Is the Criteria for Weight Loss Jabs?

Because these are prescription-only medicines, access is gated by clinical assessment. Prescribers — whether through a public health programme or a private clinic — generally look at a combination of factors when deciding whether to prescribe a weight loss injection.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI thresholds are commonly used as a starting point. A BMI of 30 kg/m² or above is a frequently referenced baseline, though many programmes set a lower threshold (often around 27–27.5 kg/m²) when a weight-related health condition is present. These numbers are guidelines used by prescribers, not absolute rules that apply universally — your prescriber will consider your full picture.

Weight-Related Health Conditions

Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnoea can affect eligibility. Someone with a lower BMI but significant weight-related health risks may qualify where someone without those conditions would not. Again, this is a clinical judgement, not a formula.

Previous Weight Management Attempts

Many prescribing frameworks ask that a person has already tried to manage their weight through changes to diet and physical activity before a prescription is considered. This is assessed by your prescriber or doctor.

Contraindications and Medical History

Certain conditions or circumstances may mean these medicines are not suitable — for example, a personal or family history of specific thyroid conditions, pancreatitis, or being pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Your prescriber will review your full medical history as part of the assessment.

Eligibility criteria can differ between countries and between different types of prescribing programmes. For more detail on how access criteria are structured in specific contexts, you may find it useful to read about weight loss injection criteria in public health settings or explore what the criteria for weight loss injections generally involve. For a broader overview of how these medicines work and who they are for, see our guide to weight loss injections.

If you have already been assessed and prescribed a weight loss injection, the focus shifts from eligibility to making the most of your treatment — and that is exactly where GLP Trackr is built to help.

The app's injection-site tracking and rotation feature lets you log every injection — including which site you used (abdomen, thigh, or upper arm) — and suggests where to inject next time. Consistent site rotation is something many prescribers recommend, and having an automatic record means you never have to guess or try to remember. Each entry also captures the dose and the date, giving you a clear log to refer back to or share at an appointment.

Alongside injection logging, GLP Trackr's side-effect tracker lets you note how you are feeling after each dose, so you can spot patterns over time. If you have a check-in with your prescriber or doctor, that record can make the conversation much more useful — rather than trying to recall how things went over the past few weeks, you have a clear timeline to refer to.

You can also explore more about what life on these medicines looks like day-to-day through our overview of weight loss jabs.

Any questions about whether these medicines are right for you, or how your treatment should progress, should always go to your prescriber or doctor — they know your full history and are best placed to advise. GLP Trackr is a tracking companion, not a clinical service.

Ready to keep your injection log in one place? Download GLP Trackr on the App Store or Google Play and try it free for 7 days — no guessing which site you used last.