MedPal AI Reports 16% Pharmacy Growth Amid FDA's Landmark Oral GLP-1 Approval

December 2025 pharmacy surge: 33,433 prescriptions and £325,000 turnover

MedPal AI has posted a solid December for its automated pharmacy arm, processing 33,433 prescriptions and generating approximately £325,000 of turnover. That works out to an average item value of £9.72 and represents month-on-month volume growth of roughly 16% from November’s 28,789 prescriptions.

Given the shortened trading month around Christmas, a double-digit step-up is a good sign that the engine is scaling. Management points to two drivers: continued integration of its NHS Distance Selling Pharmacy (DSP) contract and growing demand for its private weight-loss service via MedPal.clinic.

FDA approves first oral GLP-1 (Wegovy pill): why this could expand MedPal’s market

On 22 December 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25mg) for weight management – the first oral GLP-1 to get the green light for this indication. GLP-1s are a class of medicines that help regulate appetite and blood sugar; they’ve driven a boom in medical weight management, historically via weekly injections.

The oral formulation matters because it lowers barriers to treatment. No needles, no refrigeration. In clinical trials, adherent patients achieved up to 16.6% weight loss over 64 weeks, which the company says is comparable to the injectable version. MedPal believes this will “significantly expand the addressable market”, bringing in people who were reluctant to use injections.

Important caveat: this approval is by the FDA for the US market. UK approval, availability and pricing are not disclosed in this RNS.

Operational drivers: NHS DSP and private weight-loss service

MedPal’s momentum looks tied to two channels:

• NHS Distance Selling Pharmacy (DSP) – an NHS licence that allows pharmacies to dispense prescriptions remotely nationwide. Continued integration is cited as a contributor to December’s volume growth.
• Private weight-loss service via MedPal.clinic – the company’s AI-powered clinic offering triage and prescription fulfilment. Management highlights growing uptake here, which may benefit further as oral GLP-1s expand the pool of patients willing to seek treatment.

Under the bonnet, MedPal operates a 24/7 automated distribution centre with robotic dispensing, AI triage and same-day/next-day delivery options. It’s the sort of infrastructure that can handle higher throughput without a matching increase in headcount – exactly what you want when volumes rise.

Key numbers at a glance

Metric	Figure
December 2025 prescriptions	33,433
Turnover (December 2025)	Approximately £325,000
Average item value	£9.72
Month-on-month growth vs November	Approximately 16%
November 2025 prescriptions (for comparison)	28,789
FDA approval (oral GLP-1)	Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25mg), 22 December 2025
Clinical outcome referenced	Up to 16.6% weight loss over 64 weeks in adherent patients

Why this update matters for MedPal AI

On the pharmacy side, December’s numbers show the model scaling into peak-season disruption rather than being knocked by it. The combination of NHS DSP breadth and private-weight-loss demand offers a balanced mix of recurring NHS volume and higher-value private scripts. That blend can be attractive if the company maintains service levels and unit economics.

Strategically, the FDA’s decision is a tailwind for the category. If and when an oral GLP-1 becomes available in the UK, an AI-first clinic tied to an automated pharmacy is well placed to capture demand from patients who prefer a pill to a pen. The CEO’s comments hammer this home: they’re building for scale while emphasising clinical safety – a necessary note in weight management.

The positives and the pressure points

What looks positive

• Demonstrated scalability: 33,433 prescriptions and approximately £325,000 turnover in a shortened month, with a £9.72 average item value.
• Two clear growth levers: NHS DSP rollout plus private-weight-loss uptake.
• Category momentum: first oral GLP-1 approved in the US, likely expanding the future patient pool for weight management.
• Tech-enabled operations: AI triage and robotic dispensing supporting throughput and delivery speed.

What’s not disclosed (and why it matters)

• Gross margin, contribution margin and customer acquisition costs – crucial for judging sustainability.
• November turnover – only prescription count is given, so revenue growth rate month-on-month is not disclosed.
• UK regulatory status and availability timeline for oral semaglutide – not disclosed.
• Supply dynamics for GLP-1s – not discussed here, though they can impact fulfilment in this category.

How the oral GLP-1 shift could play out

Switching from injections to an oral option should lower friction for patients, particularly those with needle aversion or storage concerns. For a digital clinic, that can translate into higher conversion rates from assessment to prescription, more consistent adherence and better retention.

If MedPal can funnel that demand into its automated pharmacy, the operating leverage could improve – but the economics hinge on margins and logistics costs, which are not disclosed in this RNS. Execution will matter as much as demand.

CEO comment in context

Jason Drummond calls out the resilience and scalability of the dispensing infrastructure and flags the FDA news as “transformative for the industry”. The tone is confident and consistent with the company’s positioning: AI-first triage, safe clinical standards, and readiness for a larger weight-management market.

Strategic context beyond pharmacy

MedPal’s broader platform includes an AI wellness app that aggregates data from 100+ wearables and apps, plus conversational AI in development. There are partnerships with Epassi UK (zero-cost access to its app for 11m+ employees for a limited time) and Independent Gyms Ltd, and plans for B2B licensing to providers, employers and insurers.

Those elements aren’t the focus of this RNS, but they sketch a distribution and data strategy that could support patient acquisition into the clinic and pharmacy over time.

What I’m watching next

• January and Q1 2026 run-rate: can prescription volumes continue to climb after the seasonal peak?
• Revenue quality: any disclosure on gross margin, fulfilment costs and mix between NHS vs private scripts.
• UK pathway for oral semaglutide: timelines and availability are not disclosed here, but they will be pivotal for private weight-loss growth in the UK.
• Operational KPIs: dispensing accuracy, on-time delivery rates and patient satisfaction – not disclosed, but key for scaling.
• Partnership activation: evidence that Epassi and other channels are driving clinic sign-ups and prescriptions.

Bottom line

This is a clean operational update with credible volume growth and a meaningful external catalyst in the form of the FDA’s oral GLP-1 approval. The pharmacy platform looks like it’s doing the heavy lifting, and the clinic is positioned for the next chapter of weight management when oral options become more widely available.

To build conviction, investors will want more colour on margins, UK regulatory timing for oral GLP-1s and the durability of demand. For now, the direction of travel is positive, and December’s figures suggest MedPal’s automation stack is holding up under growing load.