Supplies of oral Covid medications are increasingly available in Greenbelt for patients who are older or have high-risk conditions, at no cost to consumers. Taking these medications is much easier than those requiring injections or intravenous (IV) infusions. Oral medications include Paxlovid, for those 12 and older, and Molnupiravir, for those 18 and older. They are intended for persons at an age or with conditions that increase their risk for severe illness, hospitalization and death. (See cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html.)
Locally-owned Demmy’s Pharmacy, on Cherrywood Lane across from Beltway Plaza, was highlighted in a New York Times article about increasing Paxlovid availability (see nytimes.com/2022/04/26/us/politics/paxlovid-test-to-treat.html). Because supplies of the medication are now more plentiful than when it was first released in December 2021, the federal government is encouraging medical professionals to prescribe it for any high-risk patients with Covid, instead of limiting it to their highest-risk patients. Clinical evidence so far indicates Paxlovid reduces hospitalizations of Covid patients by over 90 percent, and is very effective at preventing severe disease, according to White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha.
Demmy’s and other local pharmacies are stocked with these medications. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains the website covid-19-therapeutics-locator-dhhs.hub.arcgis.com showing pharmacies and other sites with these medications. Users can browse its map to find which sites have which medications, and how much they have on hand. It shows multiple locations in and near Greenbelt with supply on hand. For those wondering if the information is current, Demmy’s owner Adeolu Odewale confirmed that it correctly reports his supply.
The website also includes other medications for high-risk persons with Covid, such as injection/IV Bebtelovimab monoclonal antibodies and Evusheld (injection), for “preventing Covid infections in immunocompromised people [12 and older] who cannot be vaccinated,” according to the FDA Fact Sheet.
The oral Paxlovid and Molnupiravir treatments both consist of taking several tablets twice a day for five days, and must begin within five days of the first symptoms. They are for persons with increased age or high-risk conditions. Paxlovid is recommended for those 12 and older, and Molnupiravir for those 18 and older. Both medications have Emergency Use Authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Patients should consult medical professionals for what is most appropriate for them.
Obtaining these medications requires a prescription from a physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or urgent care clinic. Many urgent care clinics are one-stop shops for a Covid test, the prescription and the medication, but may require a facility charge for the prescriber. Once you have a prescription, obtaining the medication is free.
When asked what
Greenbelters should know about Paxlovid, Odewale answered, “It is readily accessible here … [and] available as soon as you have a prescription.” He reinforced that Covid medications are free and noted that Demmy’s delivers.
