However, most of the provinces have only given a small percentage of Paxlovid doses to patients so far, according to email answers to CBC News questions. In both Ontario and Alberta, for example, only about three percent of their doses have actually reached patients.
Despite the fact that the provinces have so many doses that have not been used, People told CBC News that the process of trying to obtain Paxlovid was fraught with obstacles, ranging from the availability of the drug to the lack of easily accessible places to get it.
This is a problem, experts say, because in order to be effective, Paxlovid must be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms.
“[There are] “It’s just so many delays that patients are missing out on a drug that can really change their prognosis if they are considered high-risk,” said Dr Zane Chagla, an infectious disease specialist at McMaster University.
Here’s a few basic facts about a stomp pad and how it is used.
Who is the medicine for?
Paxlovid is intended for adults in the early days of infection who have mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 and are at high risk of worsening serious illness and requiring hospitalization. Risk criteria vary by province, but may include immunosuppressed, serious underlying conditions (such as obesity or diabetes), older age and unvaccinated. Eligible patients receive Paxlovid at home after testing positive for COVID-19. Not approved for patients already being treated for severe or critical COVID-19 symptoms.
How does it work and how do I get it?
Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral drugs: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. Nirmatrelvir interferes with the proteins that the coronavirus needs to multiply and prevents it from infecting more cells. Ritonavir slows down the breakdown of nirmatrelvir so that it stays in the body long enough to do its job.
For each dose of Paxlovid, patients receive two nirmatrelvir tablets and one ritonavir tablet. The combination of antiviral drugs helps stop the coronavirus from multiplying and infecting more cells. (Cory Herperger / CBC Radio Canada)
The drug is in pill form, taken twice a day for five days. The nirmatrelvir and ritonavir pills for each dose are packaged together in a blister pack so you know how much to take.
How can I get a prescription?
To get a prescription, you need a positive COVID-19 test.
What you do after that depends on where you live, because the provinces and regions are responsible for distributing drugs.
In most counties, after receiving a positive COVID-19 test, you must obtain a prescription from a doctor or nurse.
If you do not have or can contact a primary care provider in some provinces, you can consult a healthcare provider through on-site services (eg Service BC in British Columbia, Health Links in Manitoba, Health Line 811 at Saskatchewan, Health Link in Alberta or Telehealth in Ontario.) Nova Scotia asks patients to complete a online promotion form.
This was told to CBC North by a representative of the Ministry of Health and Social Services of the Yukon government planned to administer Paxlovid through the emergency departments from the area’s three hospitals in Whitehorse, Dawson City and Watson Lake.
What about pharmacies?
Quebec is the only jurisdiction in Canada to date that has given pharmacists the power to prescribe Paxlovid. On the 1st of April news In making this announcement, the Quebec government also said that all 1,900 community pharmacies in the province would carry the drug.
In most other provinces, once you have received a prescription for Paxlovid, you can fill it out at designated community pharmacies. Ontario is an exception, where the drug is only administered in COVID-19 assessment centers or hospitals. On Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Eliot said the county plans to add more distribution locations and that plan could include pharmacies.
Talks are under way with provincial governments to try to make Paxlovid more accessible through community pharmacies, said Danielle Paes, chief pharmacist at the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
“We know that pharmacies are in every jurisdiction,” Paes said. “We can take it to the communities that need it.”
Danielle Paes, chief pharmacist at the Canadian Pharmacists Association, says community pharmacies have a big role to play in making Paxlovid more affordable. (Canadian Pharmacists Association)
In addition, following Quebec’s example and giving pharmacists the power to prescribe Paxlovid in other provinces would help streamline the COVID-19 treatment process, he said. Pharmacists are already testing COVID-19, he said, so a patient can get their test, prescription and medication all in one place.
Precautions must be taken to reduce the risk of symptomatic patients infecting other people, Paes said, noting that Quebec pharmacies offer rapid antigen testing to symptomatic patients and provide telephone consultations.
It is important to have “multiple levels of access” to Paxlovid and to simplify the way to get it, said Chagla, an infectious disease specialist.
It should be widely available in pharmacies, COVID assessment centers, primary care clinics and emergency departments, he said.
I have mild COVID-19 and am at a higher risk of hospitalization. Does this mean I should definitely take Paxlovid?
Not necessarily, because the drug interacts with many other drugs. It is important to tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist what other medicines you are taking. They will help you weigh the risks against the benefits or decide if you need a dose adjustment. “Some of the people are at the highest risk [for severe COVID-19] “They tend to be people taking other drugs,” said Dr. Emily MacDonald, who specializes in internal medicine and epidemiology at McGill Health Center. “They may have diabetes or heart disease or cancer. And so people at higher risk tend to take the drugs that have the highest risk of interacting with Paxlovid.”
Why are there so many drugs that interact with Paxlovid?
For Paxlovid to be effective, it slows down how fast the body metabolizes it. So it may have the same effect on other medicines you are taking at the same time.
Health Canada recommends to people taking the drugs on his list you should not take Paxlovid. They include alfuzosin, which is used to treat high blood pressure. many medicines for irregular heartbeat. some medicines for cancer; some medicines used to treat mental health problems and the herbal product St. John’s Wort.
People with liver or kidney disease should talk to their healthcare provider before taking Paxlovid, the product monograph and Health Canada they say.
Doctors and pharmacists emphasize that the availability of a treatment for COVID-19 such as Paxlovid does not replace vaccination. Being fully vaccinated still provides the maximum level of protection against a serious illness or hospitalization, they say.
