COVID treatment Paxlovid available in Lexington with prescription. Here’s how to find it
President Joe Biden wants to expand access to the lifesaving, antiviral drug Paxlovid, which has been shown to dramatically cut hospitalizations and deaths among people with COVID-19, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
But who can receive the drug, and how do you get it? Read on for answers to these questions and an online tool you can use to find available Paxlovid treatments in Lexington or near you.
What is Paxlovid and how does it work?
It’s an antiviral drug developed to treat COVID-19 and designed to be taken orally. The treatment was authorized by the FDA in December 2021.
The treatment is a combination of two drugs: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.
According to the FDA, the nirmatrelvir component of the treatment inhibits the coronavirus from replicating, while the ritonavir component works to enhance the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir by slowing its breakdown within the body.
Paxlovid is given in three tablets – two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet ritonavir. They’re taken together orally twice each day for five days, for a total of 30 tablets, according to the FDA. It’s not permitted for use longer than five consecutive days.
The treatment was found to dramatically reduce the proportion of people with COVID-related hospitalization or death from any cause by 88% compared to a placebo, according to the FDA.
In a study of the drug’s effectiveness, 1,039 patients were given Paxlovid and 1,046 patients were given a placebo. Among these patients, 0.8% who received Paxlovid were hospitalized or died during 28 days of follow up. That’s compared to 6% of the patients who got the placebo.
More recently, the World Health Organization issued a strong recommendation for the treatment, calling it “the best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients to date.”
That said, Paxlovid is not intended to be a replacement for the coronavirus vaccine, which is readily available in Kentucky.
Who can get Paxlovid?
Paxlovid is by prescription only and should be taken as soon as possible after a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to the FDA.
It is intended for mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and children at least 12 years of age and weighing at least 40 kilograms, or about 88 pounds.
The recipient must also be at high risk for developing a severe case of COVID-19 that could put them in the hospital or kill them, the FDA said.
A separate FDA fact sheet meant to brief health care providers on how to administer the drug advised people with serious liver or kidney problems to avoid taking it.
Where can I find Paxlovid near me?
A COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator tool is provided online through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
The tool provides a national map displaying public locations that have received shipments of various COVID-19 therapeutics, not just Paxlovid.
A search of Fayette County, Ky., turned up 119 local sites where COVID-19 therapeutics are distributed, and the tool listed more than 1,300 available courses of Paxlovid in the area, as of April 27.
Do you have a question about COVID-19 in Kentucky? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out the form below or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 2:44 PM.