Pharmacy Daily | Antivirals into Doctors Bag

THE Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has hailed a decision to add COVID-19 antivirals to Prescriber's Bag supplies carried by medical practitioners and nurse practitioners, saying making them available without a prescription via pharmacies is dangerous.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) this week made the recommendation, with the update applying to Lagevrio (molnupiravir) and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), in the quantities of two bottles (80 tablets) of Lagevrio & two cartons (60 tablets) of Paxlovid.

The RACGP cited reports of patients experiencing difficulties in receiving the treatments in a timely way, even with a prescription, with President Karen Price thanking the PBAC for heeding doctors' calls for the change and saying "this is a win for patients across Australia".

"We have been advocating for these antivirals to be added to the doctor's bag in the event access to a pharmacy is problematic in emergency situations or for rural or remote locations.

"This means the medication can be dispensed directly from the GP."

The College noted that "GPs are best placed to prescribe these drugs, and the doctor's bag enables safe and quick access".

"Earlier this year we had the Pharmacy Guild citing national GP shortages as a reason for Government to make these treatments available from community pharmacies across Australia without a prescription," according to RACGP Vice President, Bruce Willett.

"That might sound great in theory for patients, but there are many dangers to placing this responsibilty with pharmacies," he said.

He said the oral antivirals are "not without risk and need to be carefully prescribed".

"It's vital to keep in mind that patients needing these treatments will require a medical review of liver and renal function as well as a follow-up to check for adverse reactions," Willett added.

The PBAC has also recommended amending the PBS listings for the antivirals so that people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 30 or over require only one condition to meet the definition of "high risk" for the purpose of PBS eligibility.