A popular weight loss drug will soon be available in pharmacies in Scotland for those with a prescription.

Wegovy, an injection, acts as an appetite suppressant, making people feel full so they eat less and lose weight.

The weight loss medication is popular with celebs, with Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeting in 2022 that Wegovy was partially the success of his fitness.

Patients inject themselves with semaglutide, which suppresses the appetite by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released after eating.

Clinical trial evidence revealed in 2022 showed that people lose more weight with semaglutide together with supervised weight loss coaching than with support alone.

The drug will now be available at high street pharmacies, including Boots.

Boots said: “Wegovy is a weight loss medicine that can help to regulate your appetite and reduce cravings. It can be a very effective medicine to achieve sustained weight loss when used alongside a reduced calorie diet, increased physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices.”

In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said people on the weekly injections saw their weight drop by 12% on average after 68 weeks.

Currently, it is recommended for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35.

In some cases, those with a BMI of 30 may be able to access the drug.

The weight-related conditions that make obese people eligible include high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (unbalanced or unhealthy cholesterol levels), obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.

People will only be given semaglutide on prescription as part of a specialist weight management service involving input from several professionals, and for a maximum of two years