In Germany, paxlovid is by prescription through physicians only and German physicians have been reluctant to prescribe it. Hence health minister Karl Lauterbach decided that general practitioners can stock 5 Paxlovid courses in their practice and dispense it directly to patients, that a prescription would be remunerated with 15 euros and that every nursing home should appoint a vaccination officer as well as a Paxlovid officer. As of August 2022 the treatment guidelines, which German family doctors follow, have not been updated since February 2022 and recommend Paxlovid only in unvaccinated risk patients, i.e. in only a few people.As of April 2022, the United States ordered a total of 20 million Paxlovid courses. As of July 2022, the United States Department of Health and Human Services set up at least 2,200 sites where people could receive Paxlovid as soon as they test positive for the virus, including pharmacies, community health centers and long-term care facilities. In July 2022, the US FDA allowed state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe it to people with COVID-19 at high risk of progressing to severe disease. Comparison to ivermectin
The co-packaged medication is sometimes falsely claimed to be a repackaged version of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin, which has been promoted as a COVID-19 therapeutic. Such claims, sometimes using the nickname "Pfizermectin", rely on superficial similarities between the mechanism of action of both drugs and the claim that Pfizer is suppressing the benefits of ivermectin. References
External links
Halford B (January 2022). "How Pfizer scientists transformed an old drug lead into a COVID-19 antiviral".
Contraindications
The co-packaged medication is not authorized for the pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 nor for treatment in those requiring hospitalization due to severe or critical COVID-19, nor for use for longer than 5 consecutive days. The drug is contraindicated in those with hypersensitivity to the two main components, and in those with severely reduced kidney or liver function. During pregnancy
The co-packaged medication is not recommended during pregnancy and in women who can become pregnant and who are not using contraception. Breastfeeding should be interrupted during treatment. These recommendations are because laboratory studies in animals suggest that high doses of the co-packaged medication may affect the growth of the fetus.There are no human data on the use of nirmatrelvir during pregnancy related to the risk of birth defects, spontaneous abortions (miscarriage), or adverse outcomes. There are also no human data on the presence of nirmatrelvir in human milk, its effects on milk production or the infant. In pregnant rabbits, a reduction in fetal body weight was observed with systemic exposure ten times higher than the authorized human dose of the co-packaged medication. A temporary reduction in body weight was observed in the offspring of nursing rats. Interactions and side effects
Co-administration with certain drugs may have serious effects and may sometimes be fatal.