Oral Antiviral Therapeutics More Readily Available In Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health continues to receive increased bi-weekly allocations of oral antivirals to treat mild to moderate COVID-19.

There are currently two oral antiviral medications available for COVID-19 treatment. Paxlovid® by Pfizer and molnupiravir by Merck are available to treat mild to moderate disease in individuals at high risk of progression to severe illness, including hospitalization and death. When these treatments were first authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allocations to states were limited. However, in recent weeks, allocations have increased, allowing additional pharmacies and other dispensers to submit requests for these oral antiviral treatments.

"This increase in allocations is something we have been anticipating for weeks," said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. "Our goal has always been to increase access to these treatments by onboarding more pharmacies to maximize access to patients. We have seen a steady increase in allocations to the state and know many pharmacies and providers are eager to offer this treatment to help mitigate COVID-19 disease progression for those at risk of a severe outcome."

The department recently shared information to pharmacies and other potential dispensers on submitting requests for these oral antivirals through the State REDCap survey. This is in addition to the oral antiviral treatments continuing to be available at participating Walmart locations.

These therapies require a prescription by a licensed provider. Individuals seeking this treatment option should coordinate with their health care provider before contacting a location to receive these therapies.