Ontario pharmacists now allowed to prescribe COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid
Ontario pharmacists will be able to prescribe the antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid to patients as of next week.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones made the announcement on Thursday, saying this will be “another step to make it more convenient and faster for Ontarians to access care.”
While about 4,000 pharmacies have been dispensing the drug, patients still needed a prescription from a doctor or clinical assessment centre in order to access the medication.
As of Dec. 12, this will change. Eligible patients will be able to get prescriptions for Paxlovid in-person or virtually at no cost.
“By increasing access to these treatments in more convenient ways, we are helping to keep people healthier and reduce COVID-19 related hospitalizations,” Jones told reporters on Thursday.
It is unclear how many pharmacies will participate in the voluntary program.
“While it is a voluntary progress, we are quite optimistic that there will be many pharmacists that choose to do this because it is another pathway for them to assist their patients directly,” Jones said.
Justin Bates, president of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said the expectation is that the majority of pharmacies will participate.
“But they'll have to look at their patient population and individual circumstances to make that determination,” he added.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health said back in early November the province was considering this change to help expand access to the drug and keep people out of hospitals amid the triple threat of COVID-19, influenza and RSV.
“There was concern in particular in isolated areas. Where you may not have good access to a primary care physician, you may have access to a pharmacist. So that gap was looked at and I do believe they're working aggressively on that,” Kieran Moore told the Canadian Press.
Ontario interim Leader John Fraser said that while having pharmacists prescribe Paxlovid is "a good thing," it's months late.
"There's a whole bunch of people who didn't get access to that who should have had," he said.
Bates added this will reduce barriers to the medication and ensure patients can get the treatments they need.
“We know that by using Paxlovid within five days from the onset of symptoms that we can prevent severe symptoms, and our ultimate goal is to prevent hospitalizations and by doing that we relieve some of that burden in emergency departments and hospitals and ICU units,” he said.
Paxlovid is available for individuals who are 60 years of age or older, adults who are immunocompromised or at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes including having chronic medical conditions.
With files from the Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.