Manitoba stands pat on Paxlovid prescription process

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/11/2022 (1080 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba isn’t moving to expand access to Paxlovid for individuals infected with COVID-19 via granting prescribing power to pharmacists, as has been done in other jurisdictions.

“Allowing pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid is not under consideration at this time,” a provincial government spokesperson stated Friday.

The antiviral treatment comes in pill form (a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) and is available via prescription to Manitobans who are at higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19 infection, as determined by a doctor.

The medication has to be taken within five to seven days of developing symptoms, so quick access to it is crucial.

When Paxlovid first became available in Manitoba in January, supply was limited and so was initial eligibility. Early on, public health officials were urging Manitobans to check with their doctors, saying many people may not realize they qualify for the treatment.

When Susan Portelance tested positive for COVID-19 last month, she knew her rheumatoid arthritis meant she would be eligible for Paxlovid, but she still needed to get it quickly, ideally without leaving home.

She was able to obtain a prescription after a phone consultation with her rheumatologist and found a pharmacy that could fill the prescription and deliver it the next day.

“It was straightforward, and I got it within the five-day window. It helped that I have a rheumatologist and we’d already talked about it months ago,” Portelance said.

Her husband, however, didn’t qualify for Paxlovid. Her symptoms cleared up several days earlier than her husband’s, even though he tested positive sooner and doesn’t suffer from underlying health conditions.

“So it really did make a difference,” Portelance said.

The couple had both received bivalent boosters a few weeks prior to infection, which they credited for experiencing relatively mild symptoms.

Portelance said although her experience was smooth, there is a need for wider access and more public education about Paxlovid. Others she’s spoken to who tested positive for COVID-19, some who are elderly or immunocompromised, didn’t know about the antiviral medication.

“When I asked… they were all, well, what is that? So it’s not as well-known as it should be. I think they should expand access and probably public health should be releasing more information about it so people who do qualify are aware that it’s out there and they should call their doctors.”

Early this year, Manitobans were being instructed to call Health Links if they needed a Paxlovid prescription and couldn’t reach their doctor or get an appointment at a clinic within 24 hours. The medication is stocked at more than 175 pharmacies in Manitoba, the province has said.

A doctor’s appointment is unnecessary in Saskatchewan, where pharmacists have been able to screen patients and prescribe Paxlovid since temporary authorization was granted in May. Some pharmacists in Alberta are also prescribing Paxlovid, an Alberta Health spokesperson confirmed.

Similar emergency authorization has been granted to licensed U.S. pharmacists under the Food and Drug Administration.

Manitoba adults may be eligible for Paxlovid during a COVID-19 infection if they are older, have a chronic medical condition, aren’t fully vaccinated or boosted or are obese or pregnant.

Information about the number of Paxlovid treatments that have already been prescribed in Manitoba wasn’t provided Friday.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca