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Dispensing new COVID-19 treatment quickly is critical, says NCPA

Dispensing new COVID-19 treatment quickly is critical, says NCPA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association and other pharmacy stakeholders says the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to prevent pharmacists from prescribing a new COVID-19 antiviral medication from Pfizer wastes time and money and puts patients at risk. "Pharmacists are educated, trained, and able to assess patients in accordance with clinical guidelines for appropriate use of these more convenient COVID-19 treatment options,” say stakeholders. “The oral antivirals are most effective when taken early in the infection. Time is of the essence. Requiring patients to make an appointment with another prescriber just to get a prescription that their pharmacist will fill adds time, cost, and inconvenience but most concerning of all, it could cause hospitalizations and even deaths.” The NCPA was joined on the statement by American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Consulting Pharmacists (ASCP), American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA). The FDA approved the Pfizer pill Dec. 22. It is not a substitution for vaccines, says the agency.

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