Because time is of the essence when it comes to fighting the coronavirus, said pharmacist Donnie Edwards, a board member of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. “The sooner you take this medicine after the symptoms, the better,” he said. Edwards said the drug only works within five days of the onset of symptoms and the earlier the drug is taken the more effective it is. If people are waiting for a doctor appointment, it may be too late to take advantage of it. He said the Easter weekend is an example of how access to medicine can be delayed. “The doctor’s offices are closed tomorrow (Good Friday), many pharmacies are closed. “And if someone comes in this afternoon and needs Paxlovid, it has to start within five days of the onset of symptoms and you want the patient to get the medicine at the right time,” Edwards said. “This is important, the right medicine for the right person at the right time.” Although the drug requires a prescription, Edwards said that “pharmacists can make it easier as well.” The Edwards Ridgeway-owned pharmacy is one of about 58 across Niagara that received limited Paxlovid supplies as the county increased its eligibility for treatment this week. Throughout the area, there are 24 pharmacies in St. Louis. Catharines, nine at Niagara Falls and eight at Welland and five at Fort Erie stocking Paxlovid, as well as a few pharmacies in each of Niagara Falls’s smaller communities. Edwards said pharmacists first assess whether patients are eligible for Paxlovid, including anyone over the age of 70 who is HIV-positive, people 60 and older with less than three doses of the vaccine, and people 18 and older who are immunosuppressed or have had less than three doses of vaccine and have at least one risk condition such as pregnancy, obesity, diabetes, heart disease or developmental disabilities. If patients are eligible, he said pharmacists will contact the patient’s doctor or primary care provider and ask the doctor to write a prescription. Pharmacists can also help patients who do not have a family doctor. Edwards said Paxlovid can interact with at least 100 other drugs, “and we want to make sure it is safe for people to take.” “Being experts in medicine, I think we could consult a doctor or prescriber best for that,” he said. Eventually, if the infections continue to grow along with the demand for the drug, Edwards said “it would make sense for pharmacists to simply be able to prescribe it and send a note to their (patient) doctor saying I have given Paxlovid for you patient. “ Despite expanded access to treatment, Niagara’s current doctor, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, said “major obstacles remain.” “There are still barriers for people who do not know about treatment options, do not know that they should seek treatment as soon as they get sick, even when the symptoms are mild – it is no longer effective a few days later when someone gets worse,” he said. . “The materials of the province are very complicated about the treatment and so those who do not speak English as their first language, who have less education, etc., will find it difficult to access treatment. People without a family doctor will continue to face a huge obstacle to receiving treatment. “For people who have not paid for sick leave, it will be difficult to find the time to make the appointments they need to receive treatment and, in the meantime, they may be working and transmitting infection.” Hirji said the province needs to better promote treatment, simplify information and procedures to make it easier for people to receive care, increase transportation support, ensure that workers will have ongoing paid sick leave and ensure that high-risk individuals have access to primary care options. Meanwhile, infection cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Niagara, with Niagara State Public Health reporting 195 new cases Thursday and 1,864 active infections. Niagara Health reported on Thursday the death of a patient being treated for coronavirus – the fourth this month. The hospital system said the patient, a Niagara resident, died Wednesday. There are now 64 people being treated for the virus, five of whom are in the intensive care unit. Niagara Health’s medical director for infection prevention and control, Dr. Karim Ali said treatments for COVID-19 such as Paxlovid are also available for eligible patients at the Clinical Evaluation Center of the hospital system located at Niagara Falls. However, clinic appointments are only available by referral. “We have come a long way in learning about the virus and how to provide cutting-edge treatments for managing patients in our care,” he said in an email. Ali said patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms are evaluated for antiviral treatment options based on the Department of Health guidelines and the Ontario COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board. Niagara Health also provides Remdesivir infusion for eligible patients based on provincial criteria, he said. “Extending patient eligibility from the Department of Health and supporting primary care providers to evaluate and prescribe antiviral drugs will allow more eligible patients to access this treatment,” Ali said. We stay safe on Easter weekend After seeing COVID-19 infections after almost every major weekend for the past two years, Niagara’s current doctor, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, prepares for increase again as family and friends gather for the Easter celebrations. “We have seen increases in COVID-19 in recent years after long weekends for this very reason. “With the current sixth wave, there is a significant risk of the infection spreading to these events,” Hirji said. “However, we also now have more tools to make monitoring them safer.” Hirji advised:
Make sure the vaccinations are up to date before you attend any Easter events, in three doses for most people.
Do not attend parties if you are not feeling well.
If it is a larger event, do a quick test before attending to make sure you are not infecting others.
Celebrate outdoors, where the risk of infection is reduced with better ventilation.
Consider wearing masks at a larger party.
Also allow space for physical distance, including seating at tables where people will dine “to reduce the chance of the infection spreading”.
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