NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - New York City officials have said that they were launching a programme for residents to get antiviral Covid-19 pills delivered directly to their homes for free, though supplies of the drugs remained limited.
Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday (Jan 30) that oral antiviral pills would be made available for free, same-day at-home delivery for eligible New Yorkers who receive a prescription.
According to a statement from the mayor's office, treatments will be prioritised to New Yorkers who test positive for the coronavirus and are at higher risk of severe illness as supplies are still restricted.
"We want to make sure that no one with Covid-19 has to move throughout the city," Mr Adams said during a news conference at Jacobi Medical Centre in the Bronx on Sunday. "We want to bring it to you and we want you to take advantage of this."
The city started providing Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer, and molnupiravir, developed by Merck from last Sunday.
Both drugs will be distributed by Alto Pharmacy, a telehealth prescription medication provider the city has partnered with.
The treatments have been authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which said that those who are 12 and older and vulnerable to severe illness from Covid-19 are eligible for Paxlovid, and adults who are vulnerable are also eligible for molnupiravir.
Although both treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19, the FDA has said molnupiravir is much less effective and should not be considered as a first choice for treatment, as it could come with possible safety risks.
Although the city's website said both Paxlovid and molnupiravir were in stock, it was not immediately clear on Sunday how many treatment courses were available, and the mayor's office did not immediately respond to questions about the city's supply.
Earlier this month, Alto Pharmacy said it had run out of Paxlovid pills within a week after receiving about 1,300 doses in late December last year.
Scarce supplies of the antiviral pills and other Covid-19 treatments have plagued hospitals and pharmacies across the country. Still, the mayor and the city's health department officials encouraged New Yorkers to call the city's Covid-19 hotline to see if they were eligible for a prescription.
Dr Dave Chokshi, the city health commissioner, added that New York City was one of the few places in the world to offer same-day delivery for the antiviral pills.
"With these new treatments, and of course, our life-saving vaccines, we now have the tools to mitigate the worst of Covid-19," said Dr Chokshi.
