WOONSOCKET – Pharmacists at more than 9,000 CVS Pharmacy locations can now prescribe Paxlovid, the antiviral treatment against COVID-19, in the first program of its kind in the U.S., the company announced Nov. 15.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid, an oral antiviral treatment, to eligible COVID-19 patients in July.
Starting this month, CVS will allow its participating pharmacists to assess COVID-19 patients to determine whether they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the treatment.
“Enabling pharmacists to evaluate patients and prescribe Paxlovid when clinically appropriate increases patient access and reduces barriers to care and treatment for those who need it,” said Prem Shah, executive vice president of CVS Health and president and chief of the pharmacy officer at CVS Pharmacy. “Paxlovid has proven to be an important tool in the fight against COVID-19 by helping to reduce the severity of symptoms in patients at high risk for severe cases of the illness.”
Patients looking to receive the treatment must show proof of a positive COVID-19 test and answer a series of screening questions before a pharmacist can perform a clinical assessment. Part of the assessment includes review of the patient’s kidney and liver blood test values, so patients must have had certain bloodwork performed in the past 12 months to be eligible. Not all pharmacy assessments will result in a prescription, CVS Pharmacy said.
If deemed eligible, patients are responsible for an upfront payment, which varies by insurance. Because of certain federal regulations, Medicare and certain state Medicaid plans do not cover patient care services provided by pharmacists.
“One of the important benefits of this service is the convenience it affords our patients,” Shah said. “We are already seeing that some patients can log into the digital scheduler, schedule an appointment, be evaluated by a pharmacist, and receive their medication in just a few hours, which is critical for this medication to be effective.”
Many CVS pharmacies and MinuteClinic locations also continue to offer bivalent COVID-19 booster shots, which protect against the omicron variant.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
