New rules allow millions more patients to take Covid-19 antiviral drugs

New rules will give millions more Australians access to Covid-19 antiviral drugs from Monday, as health authorities battle soaring case numbers and hospitalisations.

Millions of Australians will gain access to lifesaving antiviral treatments for Covid-19, even if they don’t have an underlying medical condition, as case numbers and hospitalisations soar.

Every person over the age of 70 will be able to get a script from their GP for the oral treatments at an affordable rate under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from Monday, while the risk factor threshold for younger people has also been lowered.

Under the expansion, Australians over 50 can access the drugs if they have two or more risk factors, such as obesity, asthma, heart conditions or diabetes, with the age lowered to 30 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

There are currently almost 300,000 active Covid-19 cases in Australia, including 3977 people in hospital, of which 141 are in intensive care and 31 of those on ventilators.

The oral antivirals, Lagevrio and Paxlovid, have been shown to be effective in the early treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults who are at increased risk of progression to hospitalisation.

Dr. Arvind Yerramilli with the Covid-19 antiviral drugs that will be more widely available from Monday. Picture: Mark Wilson

The drugs normally cost $1000 per treatment, but under the PBS are $6.80 for concession card holders and $40 for others.

Previously, the antivirals were available only to people aged over 75 with at least one underlying condition, or 65 and over with two risk factors. Australians 18 and over who are “moderately to sev­erely immunocompromised” were also eligible and this ­remains unchanged.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler.

Health Minister Mark Butler said increased access to the treatments would help ease pressure on the health system at a time when Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation numbers were climbing.

“These oral antivirals dramatically reduce the risk of ­severe disease, particularly for older Australians, and will help keep people out of hospital,” he said.

Mr Butler said people could get antivirals after speaking to a doctor, but they “need to act fast”.

“Speak to your GP and make a plan for what you will do if you get Covid, so you can start taking antivirals as soon as possible after your positive result,” he said.

Cootamundra grandmother Kerry Hawking is one of thousands of Australians who has benefited from antiviral treatment.

After NSW Health detected poor oxygen results they connected Ms Hawking with a doctor, and her GP prescribed antivirals.

She said at worst she would describe her symptoms as a “bad cold”, and she recovered in about five days.