Rite Aid offers COVID-19 oral antiviral medications
Rite Aid today announced that nearly 98% of its retail pharmacies across the 17 states it serves now offers FDA-authorized COVID-19 oral antiviral medications, Pfizer’s Paxlovid or Merck’s Molnupiravir, with a prescription from their healthcare provider.
“Rite Aid continues to be a vital resource for our communities as we help customers navigate the COVID pandemic, and we are proud to now have these medications widely available across our footprint,” said Karen Staniforth, chief pharmacy officer at Rite Aid. “We remain as committed as ever in doing our part to help keep our communities healthy, and we strongly urge anyone who hasn’t received their primary vaccination series or booster shot to do so.”
[Read more: Test to treat: Pharmacists nationwide need to have prescriptive authority for COVID-19 antivirals]
The COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments are available to individuals who test positive, and are within five days of symptom onset and at high risk for severe COVID-19. Paxlovid is available to individuals 12 and older, while Molnupiravir can be prescribed to those 18 and older. According to the FDA, these treatments — which must be prescribed by a physician, nurse practitioner, advanced practice registered nurse or physician’s assistants — are not substitutions for the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines but can help reduce severe disease and hospitalization. Additionally, these medications cannot be used for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19. Most Rite Aid locations will have one or the other oral antiviral medication available.
[Read more: Pharmacy orgs ask Biden administration to remove prescribing limits on COVID-19 treatments]
Once prescribed, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Rite Aid encourages customers filling either of these prescriptions to have a family member or friend pick up their prescription, take advantage of Rite Aid’s drive-thru locations or at-home delivery service. Customers can visit the Rite Aid store locator here to search locations and their prescription pick-up and delivery services. More information about the anti-viral medications can be found here.