A senior says she ended up in the ER after being denied the COVID treatment Paxlovid – CBC

Oral treatment that prevents COVID-related hospitalization, death is not widely used

Dec 16, 2022

Canada’s abundant supply of Paxlovid, the potentially life-saving COVID-19 treatment, has largely gone unused — an oversight that experts say has likely caused a number of unnecessary deaths.

Patricia Johnston, 72, of Edmonton recently contracted a bad case of COVID-19. She said she sought a prescription for Paxlovid from her doctor to help stave off the worst effects of the disease.

The treatment, which was approved by Health Canada in January, has reduced the incidence of hospitalization and death in clinical trials and real world circumstances.

Paxlovid treatment must be started within five days of the onset of symptoms. Johnston said she asked for a prescription on day three.

Johnston said she was turned down, that she was told she didn’t meet Alberta’s guidelines for the oral treatment — a pill regimen designed for high-risk patients such as seniors and the immunocompromised, among others.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-treatment-paxlovid-1.6687177