Where can I get prescription antiviral COVID-19 pills in Ontario?

More than 1,700 pharmacies in Ontario will be dispensing the antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid to patients with a prescription.

The province released the list of participating pharmacies on Wednesday morning.

More people became eligible for the antiviral medication this week, including seniors over the age of 70, individuals over the age of 60 with fewer than three doses of a vaccine, adults who are immunocompromised and adults who are not fully vaccinated and suffer from an at-risk condition.

Anyone wondering if they are eligible can take a screening assessment on the Ontario government's website.

In order to obtain the antiviral treatment, individuals must take a COVID-19 test and visit either their primary care provider or go to a clinical assessment centre. The same groups eligible for antiviral treatment are also eligible for PCR testing at pharmacies and clinics.

The province said antiviral treatment must begin within five days of symptoms in most cases. A full course of treatment is three pills, twice daily, for five days in a row.

The medication can be picked up at a clinical assessment centre, hospital, or at one of the 1,700 pharmacies across Ontario.

Here is a list of all the participating pharmacy locations in Ontario: