COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid available by prescription at Hamilton pharmacies
- Michael Kras
- 17 Apr 2022
Some Hamilton residents sick with COVID-19 may be eligible to receive a prescription for Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment in the form of oral medication that can significantly reduce the risks of severe illness and death if started within 5 days of symptom onset.
The Ontario government has taken steps to offer Paxlovid free of charge by prescription to high-risk individuals through clinical assessment centres, hospitals, and through participating pharmacies.
For those providers who are prescribing Paxlovid in Ontario through their practice – a list of participating pharmacies is here:https://t.co/XbUo0y2xzS
— Zain Chagla (@zchagla) April 13, 2022
Almost 90 pharmacies in theHamilton area now carry Paxlovid for this purpose, including numerous locations of Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, Pharmasave, Loblaw Pharmacy, and a bunch of independent pharmacies like King Medical Pharmacy or Hamilton General Drugstore.
A full list of the participating pharmacies in Hamilton and beyond is available on the Ontario website.
In order to be eligible for treatment with Paxlovid, an individual most have tested positive for COVID-19 and receive assessment from a healthcare provider to determine if the treatment is right for them.
Those eligible include individuals over 18 who are immunocompromised, individuals over 70, and individuals over 60 with fewer than three vaccine doses.
There’s additional eligibility for those 18 and older with fewer than three vaccine doses and at least one of a list of comorbidities including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, cerebral palsy, intellectual or developmental disabilities, sickle cell disease, moderate or severe kidney or liver disease, and pregnancy while fully unvaccinated.
However, your healthcare provider may decide that treatment is advised for you even without meeting those eligibility criteria, based on individual circumstances.
Read more on the Ontario website.
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