Yesterday, the Biden administration announced a new plan to deliver Paxlovid, a therapeutic highly effective at treating COVID-19, to more pharmacies. The administration plans on educating doctors and pharmacists on the widely available drug, which can reduce the risk of becoming severely ill. This push is just the latest in the administration’s fight against COVID-19. With treatments, vaccines, and boosters still widely available, we can continue to move towards normalcy.
But it is vital that we don’t give up now. The government will soon run out of money to support the fight against COVID-19. For months, the Biden administration has been ringing the alarm bells on the dire consequences of a lack of funds – from running out of treatments to being unable to fund research into emerging variants and more powerful vaccines. It’s now up to Congress to listen and to approve this additional funding so we can continue to protect ourselves in the present while preparing for the future.
NPR: Biden Will Make Paxlovid, A Highly Effective COVID Drug, Available To More Pharmacies. “The antiviral pills are a central component of President Biden’s strategy for helping Americans live with the pandemic, first detailed by the White House nearly two months ago. The government purchased 20 million doses of the drug from Pfizer and worked with the company to accelerate delivery of the pills. Many pharmacies have not yet been able to stock the drug and some physicians have been hesitant to prescribe it over concerns about depleting the supply — which the White House now describes as ‘ample.’” [NPR, 4/26/22]
STAT: Biden Administration Starts COVID Treatment Push, Focusing On Pfizer’s Paxlovid. “The Biden administration announced a series of initiatives Tuesday aimed at increasing the use of antiviral pills to treat Covid-19, with a particular focus on Pfizer’s Paxlovid… The first step will be simply to make Paxlovid and Merck’s molnupiravir, another oral antiviral treatment, available at more places. Administration officials said they plan to nearly double the number of locations where the drugs are available, including pharmacies, community health centers, urgent care centers, and Veterans Affairs clinics.” [STAT, 4/26/22]
TIME: Biden Administration Is Making The COVID-19 Antiviral Pill Paxlovid Easier To Get. “The White House said Tuesday it is stepping up outreach to doctors, letting them know they shouldn’t think twice about prescribing the pill to eligible patients. It is also announcing that the drug will now be distributed directly to pharmacies, in addition to existing distribution channels run by states. That is expected to boost the number of sites from 20,000 to more than 30,000 next week and eventually to 40,000 locations.” [TIME, 4/26/22]
NBC News: White House Pushes To Increase Use Of Pfizer’s Covid Treatment Paxlovid. “Officials said that because the drug has been underused in the fight against the pandemic, the federal government will double the number of locations where Paxlovid is available. The locations will include 40,000 pharmacies, community health centers, hospitals, urgent care centers and Veterans Affairs clinics. The White House said it expects that as many as 10,000 of the sites could start carrying the drug as soon as this week.” [NBC News, 4/26/22]
CBS News: White House Aims To Boost Use Of COVID Drugs Like Paxlovid, Citing Plentiful Supply. “As part of the new effort, the federal government plans to allow thousands of more pharmacies to directly order highly effective COVID-19 treatments like Pfizer’s Paxlovid antiviral pills, which can reduce the risk of becoming severely ill. They also plan to launch additional ‘test-to-treat’ sites, where Americans can get diagnosed and receive the pills in a single visit.” [CBS News, 4/26/22]
The Washington Post: Biden Administration Boosts Access To Antivirals As Covid Cases Rise. “The administration is also taking other steps to boost availability of the drug, a pill from Pfizer called Paxlovid, including an effort to stand up more ‘test-to-treat’ programs in pharmacies and clinics, where many people will be able to walk out with a five-day regimen of pills after testing positive for the coronavirus.” [The Washington Post, 4/26/22]