Pharmacists can now prescribe Paxlovid

They can also issue a rapid test, but only to those who qualify for the antiviral

Pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador played a role in the prevention of COVID-19 by administering vaccines to help prevent infection or serious illness from the coronavirus, and now they can play a role in the cure.

Paxlovid is a combination of antiviral drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, and stops the coronavirus from replicating, which significantly reduces a person’s chances of becoming severely ill.

Until now, its use was limited to a hospital setting, and the drug was rationed for only the most high-risk cases.

On Friday, the provincial government amended regulations to allow pharmacists to test for COVID-19 in highrisk individuals and to prescribe Paxlovid if so indicated.

The Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador waited until Tuesday to announce the change to give the product a few days to show up on the shelves.

“When the announcement goes out before the product is in place, it creates chaos,” association president Janice Audeau told The Telegram Tuesday.

FREE RAPID TEST

Pharmacies can also issue a free rapid antigen test to diagnose the disease, but only under specific conditions. To qualify, a patient must:

• Have been symptomatic for five days or less;

• Not have access to their own rapid test or to a PCR test; and

• Not been admitted to hospital.

The patient must also be considered high risk for hospitalization or death by being in the following categories:

• Immunocompromised individuals not expected to mount an adequate immune response to SARS-COV-2 infection, regardless of COVID19 vaccine status;

• Individuals 80 years of age or older, regardless of vaccination status;

• Individuals 60 years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, residing in rural/remote communities or residing in a long-term care setting, or members of the Indigenous community; and

• Are not contraindicated for treatment with Paxlovid.

“It’s not like, if you want a rapid test you can get it at the pharmacy because you just want to check to see for travel purposes or whatever,” Audeau said.

As well, the test must be administered at home by the client.

“If people assume that they’re positive, please don’t go into the pharmacy,” she said. “Contact the pharmacy and see what steps they want you to take.”

As well as administering vaccines, pharmacists are allowed to diagnose and prescribe medications for a variety of conditions, including inflammation and bacterial infections.