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Pharmacies, GPs at odds over COVID antivirals

Latest COVID peak has likely passed

A push to allow access to COVID treatments without a prescription could jeopardise patient safety, the general practitioners’ body warns.

There are two oral antivirals available in Australia, and while early treatment is critical to lessen the effects of the virus, access is restricted.

All Australians over 70 and those over 50 at risk of severe disease from COVID-19 are eligible to access the treatments, with patients requiring a prescription from a GP or a nurse practitioner.

Australia’s pharmacy body wants the federal government to consider allowing the medications to be supplied over the counter to allow people to have faster access upon infection.

Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said wait times to see a GP were getting longer, which was a problem considering the window to use the medication.

“Given the treatment program of these life-saving anti-viral medicines needs to commence within five days of the initial onset of COVID-19 symptoms, it’s vital that patients test early and often and receive treatment without long delays due to the lack of GP appointments,” he said on Thursday.

New Zealand had recently followed the example of Canada and Britain and made COVID anti-viral medicines available at local community pharmacies, Professor Twomey said.

But patient safety must always be prioritised, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said.

While more action was needed to ensure treatments were provided to those who needed them quickly, over-the-counter dispensing was not the answer, RACGP president Karen Price said.

“Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense antivirals will not improve access and there are significant risks to patients,” Professor Price said.

“These drugs have what we call ‘contraindications’, which is the term used to describe when a particular treatment should not be used, as well as interactions with other common medications.”

General practitioners knew the health history of their patients and could assess potential impacts of antivirals while pharmacies could not, Professor Price said.

“Pharmacies should keep their focus on the job at hand, which is availability of stock, rather than the provision of oral antivirals without a prescription,” she said.

“There should be a website showing where stock is available, as they have previously done for rapid antigen test stocks.”

Professor Price said the antiviral treatments could be the difference between a patient having mild COVID effects or ending up in hospital.

“However, we must proceed with caution because the last thing we want to do is potentially endanger patients,” she said.

Following antiviral treatment access being expanded in July, Health Minister Mark Butler said prescription rates almost tripled.

Australia had more than 27,000 COVID-19 cases and 133 deaths on Wednesday, with nearly 4500 people in hospital.

Australia’s latest 24-hour COVID data

NSW: 10,515 cases, 29 deaths, 2223 in hospital with 64 in ICU

Victoria: 5550 cases, 36 deaths, 605 in hospital with 27 in ICU

Tasmania: 661 cases, one death, 80 in hospital with two in ICU

Queensland: 3358 cases, 11 deaths, 596 in hospital with 18 in ICU

ACT: 464 cases, one death, 135 in hospital with four in ICU

Western Australia: 2739 cases, seven deaths, 323 in hospital with 11 in ICU

Northern Territory: 184 cases, one death, 43 in hospital with two in ICU

South Australia: 1919 cases, one death, 269 in hospital with seven in ICU

-AAP

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