Key TakeawaysThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients who test positive for COVID-19.Patients must connect the pharmacist to a provider who knows their medical history or be able to provide recent kidney and liver function tests. This information will help the pharmacist confirm the drug is safe to prescribe.To prevent potentially dangerous drug interactions, patients also need to provide the pharmacist with a list of all their current medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) products.

Key Takeaways

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible patients who test positive for COVID-19.Patients must connect the pharmacist to a provider who knows their medical history or be able to provide recent kidney and liver function tests. This information will help the pharmacist confirm the drug is safe to prescribe.To prevent potentially dangerous drug interactions, patients also need to provide the pharmacist with a list of all their current medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) products.

Pharmacists are allowed to prescribe the antiviral drug Paxlovid—an oral treatment for COVID-19—thanks to an expanded authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Previously, only physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants were permitted to prescribe Paxlovid. Allowing pharmacists to prescribe any drug is very rare in the United States. Some states allow pharmacists to prescribe a narrow list of medications—and often only under a provider’s supervision.

Under the revised authorization, the FDA allows state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid on their own to eligible patients. However, there are a few caveats.

Pharmacists must consult with a patient’s physician or review their health records to make sure the patient is not taking any medications, supplements, or over-the-counter (OTC) products that could interact with Paxlovid. The pharmacist must also be able to confirm a patient’s liver and kidneys are functioning before prescribing the drug.

Who Can Take Paxlovid?

“For Paxlovid to be effective, it is essential to start this medication as soon as possible, and looking to pharmacists to help get the drug to the patients that can benefit most makes good sense at every level,”Preeti Malani, MD, MS, MSJ, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and former chief health officer at the University of Michigan, told Verywell.

What Is Paxlovid?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults and people with certain chronic conditions (including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease), are at high risk for severe COVID.

Public health experts hope that allowing pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid will increase its use, especially among people who do not have primary care providers.

“This could have a modest effect toward increasing Paxlovid use,” Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers, told Verywell. “Every little bit helps when it comes to getting this drug out there to people who can benefit from it.”

A Contentious Decision

After the FDA’s decision to allow pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid, some medical organizations emphasized the importance of seeking a prescription from a primary care provider or physician.

While noting that the move has the potential to expand access to timely treatment, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) issued astatementrecommending that people get prescriptions from primary care physicianswhenever possible, deeming these providers the “most knowledgeable about a patient’s medical history and potential interactions.”

Astatementfrom the American Medical Association (AMA) was more adamant about physician-ordered prescriptions:

“While the majority of COVID-19-positive patients will benefit from Paxlovid, it is not for everyone, and prescribing it requires knowledge of a patient’s medical history, as well as clinical monitoring for side effects and follow-up care to determine whether a patient is improving—requirements far beyond a pharmacist’s scope and training.”

However, the infectious disease specialists that Verywell reached out to expressed full support for the FDA’s decision to allow pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid.

WHO Strongly Recommends Paxlovid for Patients at Risk of Severe COVID

“As a COVID physician who works closely with pharmacists and relies heavily on their expertise, I fully support expanding privileges of pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid,”Priya Nori, MD,an associate professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at the Montefiore Health System in New York, told Verywell. “No providers understand drug interactions like they do. Their comfort level may be higher than that of the average primary care, ER, or urgent care provider, groups who, in my experience, remain hesitant to prescribe this drug.”

Malani agreed, noting safety is top of mind for pharmacists.

What Should I Do If I’m Sick But Testing Negative for COVID?If you’re feeling sick but have consistently tested negative for COVID, you should still get in touch with your provider. Other respiratory illnesses—likethe flu and RSV—are also going around and can cause severe illness if they’re not treated.

What Should I Do If I’m Sick But Testing Negative for COVID?

If you’re feeling sick but have consistently tested negative for COVID, you should still get in touch with your provider. Other respiratory illnesses—likethe flu and RSV—are also going around and can cause severe illness if they’re not treated.

How to Get Paxlovid

Paxlovid must be taken within five days of symptoms starting. Therefore, it’s important for patients to know how to access the drug in a timely fashion. Pharmacists have the authority to prescribe Paxlovid, but that does not mean that all pharmacies will have the ability or resources to fill a prescription.

Here are a few ways to get Paxlovid if you’re eligible:

What This Means For YouIf you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, you might be able to find out if you’re eligible for Paxlovid at your local pharmacy. If you qualify but can’t go to the pharmacy in person, you might be able to have it delivered to you. Urgent care clinics and telehealth with your provider are other ways to get Paxlovid if you need it.

What This Means For You

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, you might be able to find out if you’re eligible for Paxlovid at your local pharmacy. If you qualify but can’t go to the pharmacy in person, you might be able to have it delivered to you. Urgent care clinics and telehealth with your provider are other ways to get Paxlovid if you need it.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

How Common Is Paxlovid Rebound?

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tanne JH.Covid-19: FDA authorises pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid.BMJ. 2022:378:o1695. doi:10.1136/bmj.o1695Food and Drug Administration.Paxlovid FAQs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals.Walgreens.Prescriptions delivered right to your door.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tanne JH.Covid-19: FDA authorises pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid.BMJ. 2022:378:o1695. doi:10.1136/bmj.o1695Food and Drug Administration.Paxlovid FAQs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals.Walgreens.Prescriptions delivered right to your door.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tanne JH.Covid-19: FDA authorises pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid.BMJ. 2022:378:o1695. doi:10.1136/bmj.o1695Food and Drug Administration.Paxlovid FAQs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals.Walgreens.Prescriptions delivered right to your door.

Tanne JH.Covid-19: FDA authorises pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid.BMJ. 2022:378:o1695. doi:10.1136/bmj.o1695

Food and Drug Administration.Paxlovid FAQs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals.

Walgreens.Prescriptions delivered right to your door.

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