U.S. pharmacists can now prescribe Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill to people at risk, FDA says – National

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it has authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer Inc.’s PFE.N-COVID-19 pill Paxlovid to appropriate patients.

Use of the pill, approved to treat newly infected, vulnerable people to prevent serious illness, has skyrocketed in recent weeks as infections have risen.

“Because Paxlovid must be taken within five days of symptom onset, allowing licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid could expand access to timely treatment for some patients,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the FDA, in a statement.

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The agency said patients who test positive for COVID-19 should bring their health records for pharmacists to check for kidney and liver problems.

The agency said pharmacists should refer patients to a doctor licensed to prescribe drugs when there is insufficient information to assess kidney or liver function or when changes are needed because of a possible drug interaction.

Patients should also provide a list of the medications they are currently taking so their pharmacist can screen for medications that could potentially react with Paxlovid, the FDA said.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)