Windsor-Essex pharmacists can now prescribe Paxlovid. Here's who's eligible
The Ontario government is allowing pharmacists in Windsor-Essex and across the province to prescribe Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment option used to reduce severe outcomes from COVID-19.
Starting Dec. 12, 2022, pharmacists will be able to prescribe Paxlovid to eligible individuals in-person or virtually (such as by telephone) at no cost. Eligible individuals should contact their local pharmacy to confirm if they prescribe Paxlovid and how to get a prescription for Paxlovid.
Eligibility for Paxlovid includes:
- Symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19;
- A positive lab-based PCR, rapid molecular, or rapid antigen test (including rapid tests done at home);
- The prescribing occurs within five days of symptom onset;
- The individual receiving the prescription is;
- 60 years of age or older
- 18 years of age or older and is immunocompromised
- 18 to 59 years old and at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes including having chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes, heart or lung disease) or inadequate immunity against COVID-19 (i.e., not up-to-date on vaccines).
The owner of Brady’s Drug Stores is pleased how the province is handling the rollout.
“As the weather and holiday season approaches odds are we will see an increase in COVID,” said Tim Brady.
Brady added the rollout also includes part of the province’s plan to allow pharmacists the ability to prescribe the treatment.
“This doesn’t mean it’s an automatic for everyone, as an individual must qualify, and it’s not a preventative measure to avoid COVID,” he said.
Brady is not yet taking bookings, but expects different pharmacies will experience different levels of demand.
“Not every store will be able to do it right away, and anyone prescribed and may have to make some calls,” said Brady.Tim Brady, owner of Brady’s Drug Stores in Essex County, Ont., on Thursday, March 4, 2021. (Michelle Maluske / CTV Windsor)
“In addition to getting your COVID-19 booster and flu shot, Ontarians are now able to also talk to their local pharmacist about a prescription for Paxlovid,” said Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. “This expansion of pharmacists’ scope of practice is just one more way our government is making it easier for Ontarians to access health care right in their own communities.”
Paxlovid prescriptions also remain available through any physician or nurse practitioner in Ontario as well as clinical assessment centres across the province. The province said Individuals with complex health conditions may need to see their primary care provider or go to a clinical assessment centre for Paxlovid, based on the clinical judgement of the pharmacist.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.