Two COVID-19 oral therapies will be available on the North Coast in coming days.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration provisionally approved the Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) and Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) antiviral medications on 18 January 2022.
Lagevrio® and Paxlovid® have both been found to be effective in treating mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults aged 18 and over who:
- don’t require supplemental oxygen, and
- are at increased risk of progression to hospitalisation or death.
Neither product is intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19.
The advantage of these oral medications is that many people will be able to receive treatment for COVID-19 in their own homes without the need to travel to hospital for treatment as an inpatient.
Due to limited supply, initial distribution will be prioritised to those at highest risk in the community. North Coast residential aged care facilities and Aboriginal medical services are among the first to have access to the oral therapies, delivered from the National Medical Stockpile.
It is anticipated that GPs will be able to prescribe the new drugs soon, with the oral therapies to be dispensed via local health district pharmacies.
A GP will be required to confirm the patient is positive before prescribing. This will be done by sighting an SMS confirming COVID 19 diagnosis (PCR or RAT), or receipt of a direct referral with patient details from NSW Health.
Visit COVID-19 Community Treatment Program – Mid North Coast Local Health District for information about the new oral COVID-19 medications including the approval forms and treatment protocols.
Stay up-to-date with Mid and North Coast HealthPathways, which contains important information on indications, contraindications, and precautions, and follow service specific processes for prescribing documentation and dispensation.For more comprehensive information on these new oral treatments, see the TGA media release and ministerial statement.
Supporting regulatory documents including the Product Information and Consumer Medicine Information, which provide details on dosage, side effects, contraindications and other essential prescribing information, can be found at www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-treatments-provisional-registrations.
Download ACI’s Model of care for the use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies and antivirals.
The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce – Caring for people with COVID-19 guidelines on the use of these treatments can be found at covid19evidence.net.au.
Two recent webinars also provide updates on the new COVID-19 oral treatments.
- 7 February 2022 | COVID-19 response update for Primary Care, featuring Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd AM and Drs Karen Price and Sarah Chalmers.
- 9 February 2022 | RACGP GP Guidance on anti-viral prescribing for patients – featuring Dr Kerry Chant, Chief Health Officer, NSW Health, and other leading practitioners.