On the 14th, the oral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid was delivered to a pharmacy in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government announced on the 14th that, as of 7 p.m. on the first day of administering Pfizer's oral antiviral treatment 'Paxlovid,' a total of 9 patients nationwide were prescribed the medication according to the inventory management system.
By region, there were 3 in Seoul, 3 in Daegu, 1 in Daejeon, and 2 in Gyeonggi. The first prescription was given to a man in his 70s in Daejeon, who received the oral treatment through non-face-to-face consultation and took the medication. The home treatment patient had undergone a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test the previous day due to symptoms such as coughing, was confirmed positive that morning, and after a basic epidemiological investigation, was designated as a home treatment case.
During the non-face-to-face consultation, the doctor inquired about the patient's health status and underlying conditions, checked the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) system to confirm there were no contraindicated concurrent medications, and decided to prescribe the oral treatment. After the hospital issued the prescription, the responsible pharmacy double-checked for contraindicated concurrent medications through DUR and dispensed the medication according to the prescription, delivering it directly to the home treatment patient.
The home treatment patient took the oral treatment according to the medical staff's prescription and the pharmacy's medication guidance, and the managing medical institution confirmed the medication intake and health status by phone 1 to 2 hours after administration.
On the 14th, the oral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid was delivered to a pharmacy in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
The 21,000 doses of Paxlovid to be used over the three weeks from this day until the 3rd of next month consist of 13,337 doses (63.5%) allocated to provinces and cities and 7,663 doses (36.5%) adjusted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The allocation by province and city was calculated based on the number of home treatment patients aged 65 and older and the number of residents in residential treatment centers as of the 1st, and requests for quantity adjustments are being accepted through the provinces and cities if needed.
The provincial and city allocations will be delivered to 280 designated pharmacies and 89 residential treatment centers by the 15th, and the KDCA's adjusted quantities will be operated to provide emergency support based on local government demand through the inventory management system and in response to large-scale outbreaks in certain areas.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters urged active utilization of oral treatments starting tomorrow through provincial and city meetings and work communications on the same day.
Im Suk-young, head of the Situation Management Division at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "Pfizer's oral treatment reduces hospitalization or death by 88%, and it is important to administer it within 5 days of symptom onset," adding, "Patients should inform healthcare professionals about their current medications and health conditions to ensure safe medication use."
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