The AP is solely responsible for all content. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. “That's something we do every day, all day, make sure there are no interactions with any medications.” “Pharmacists are the drug experts,” she said. Her pharmacy routinely checks for potentially harmful interactions with other drugs a patient may be taking, she said. Pharmacist Michele Belcher said ahead of the announcement that she hoped to be able to test customers for COVID-19 and offer the pill because there is a shortage of primary care doctors in her community, the small, southwestern Oregon city of Grants Pass.īelcher said she worries that some people may have a hard time getting a doctor's appointment for a prescription during the narrow window to start the pill.īelcher, owner of the independent Grants Pass Pharmacy, said she used to test and treat for COVID-19 using injectable drugs that are no longer as effective. There also are nearly 19,400 independent pharmacies not tied to a big chain, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. drugstore chains - CVS Health and Walgreens - run around 19,000 locations combined.ĬVS Health already provides COVID-19 care at 1,100 clinic locations inside drugstores. The drug has shown less impressive results in patients who already have vaccine protection and some physicians have reported cases of COVID-19 symptoms returning after treatment with the drug.Įxpanding the test-to-treat program to include pharmacists could add thousands of additional options for patients. The FDA authorized Paxlovid last December for ages 12 and up based on results showing it reduced hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90% among unvaccinated patients most likely to get severe disease. A course of treatment is three pills twice a day for five days. It isn't recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems. That includes older people and those with other health issues like heart disease, obesity, cancer or diabetes that make them more vulnerable. Paxlovid is intended for people with COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill. As an alternative, pharmacists can consult with the patient's doctor. Patients are expected to bring their recent health records- including blood tests - and a list of their current medications so pharmacists can check for health conditions and medications that can negatively interact with Paxlovid. Get help from Facebook Messenger Support using the Guided Help option. Get Help From Facebook Messenger Support.
Still, use could be limited by paperwork requirements. If you are not sure, log out any suspicious session manually you do not want to risk the only chance of logging back into the account. “Since Paxlovid must be taken within five days after symptoms begin, authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid could expand access to timely treatment,” FDA drug center director Patrizia Cavazzoni, said in a statment.
The FDA change will make thousands more pharmacies eligible to quickly prescribe and dispense the pill, which must be used early to be effective.
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