Oral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) manufactured by Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd, which was provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on 18 January 2022 is now listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
A PBS listing for Paxlovid® means eligible patients can access this medicine from their local community pharmacy on a prescription from their doctor or nurse practitioner.
Paxlovid® was listed on the PBS from 1 May 2022 as a treatment for COVID-19. Paxlovid® has been made available to all Community Service Obligation (CSO) Distributors to distribute to community pharmacies as per normal supply arrangements and will be subject to the CSO obligations, ensuring supply of Paxlovid® to community pharmacies within 24 hours of the regular order cut off times.
To prioritise Paxlovid® for patients at highest risk of developing severe COVID-19, prescribers are requested to prescribe Paxlovid® only in accordance with the PBS eligibility criteria; and prescribers and dispensers are strongly discouraged from providing it via private prescription. Further information can be found here.
