New Covid Oral Treatment Available In May For At-Risk Australians

A new Covid oral treatment will soon be made available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for Australians at high risk of developing severe Covid.

From May 1, the prescription-only, Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) - an oral anti-viral medicine, can be used by patients with mild to moderate Covid who are at high risk of developing severe disease.

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In a bid to help reduce the need for hospital admissions, the new oral treatment Paxlovid® can be prescribed to people if:

• they are 65 years of age or older, with two other risk factors for severe disease (as increasing age is a risk factor, patients who are 75 years of age of older only need to have one other risk factor)
• they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, and are 50 years of age or older with two other risk factors for severe disease, or
• they are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

A recent study with high-risk patients, showed that Paxlovid® reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 88% when patients were treated within five days of symptom onset.

Having Paxlovid® added to the PBS list also means eligible Aussies can pick up the medication from their local pharmacy with a prescription.

Patients will only pay a maximum of $42.50 per script, or as little as $6.80 with a concession card.

It follows Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) being added to the PBS from 1 March, with around 5,000 patients already receiving the oral treatment through the PBS.

Supporting the National Plan to Transition Australia’s Covid response, at least 1 million courses of Paxlovid will be made available to at risk Australians. 

Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this:

Western Australia 

• New cases: 4,993 
• Covid-related deaths: 0 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 240 / 8 

Northern Territory 

• New cases: TBA 
• Covid-related deaths: TBA 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: TBA 

Australian Capital Territory 

• New cases: 775   
• Covid-related deaths: 1 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 62 / 2 

Queensland 

• New cases: 6,667
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 518 / 14 

New South Wales 

• New cases: 13,468
• Covid-related deaths: 3
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,568 / 62

Victoria 

• New cases: 9,597
• Covid-related deaths: 1 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 381 / 20 

South Australia 

• New cases: 4,281
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 236 / 13 

Tasmania 

• New cases:1,650
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 56 / 1

New Zealand 

• New cases: 7,592
• Covid-related deaths: 11
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 640 / 23

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