Ontario is going to simplify access to antiviral drugs
The Pharmacists Association convinces the Ministry of Health that pharmacists can prescribe treatment just as well as doctors.
Ontario residents can now get free antiviral drugs at a provincial testing center if they test positive for coronavirus. U.S. pharmacies are about to start a "test-treatment" program: a person can come to a participating pharmacy or clinic, get a free coronavirus test, see a doctor right away and get free medication. The Pharmacists Association in Canada wants the government to do the same thing, but without the involvement of doctors.
In January 2022, Canada purchased one million doses of the antiviral drug paxlovir from Pfizer. Paxlovid consists of two antiviral drugs packaged together: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. Nirmatrelvir is a new drug specially developed by Pfizer, and ritonavir is a drug used for HIV.
It is important to start treatment as soon as possible, in the first few days after symptoms or a positive test result. Now that many restrictions have been lifted, the incidence of mild coronavirus in Canada has reached a record high.
Just because the infected don't need hospital treatment doesn't mean they can only treat the symptoms, Canadian doctors say. Unfortunately, because of the overburdened health care system, people in Canada often cannot see their family doctor within a reasonable amount of time, and some do not have a family doctor at all. At the same time, medicines without a doctor's prescription are not sold in Canada.
So far, only 800 of Ontario's 5,000 pharmacies offer molecular rapid tests, but many pharmacy owners are willing to join the "test-treatment" program if it is approved and sponsored by the government. The program would also help gather statistical data on the prevalence of the virus.
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