Paxlovid from Pfizer and Molnupiravir from Merck both require a prescription and will be accessible as long as stocks last, according to Walmart.
You can check to see if the medications are available at a Walmart or Sam’s Club pharmacy near you by visiting this page.
The antiviral drugs were found to be available at eight retailers in the Austin area, 40 pharmacies in the Dallas area, and a handful of pharmacies in the San Antonio area, according to a check done on Friday morning.
Because the medications are only available to patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, they will only be available through curbside pickup or drive-thru pharmacy windows at participating locations.
In a statement, Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy, stated, “We are dedicated to working with our state and federal partners to ensure that patients have access to new treatment choices, such as authorized COVID-19 antiviral drugs, as they become available.”
Customer recovery at home is made possible by this drug, which helps to decrease the pressure on our hospitals and communities.
More tests are needed, although Pfizer stated earlier this month that its COVID-19 pill is highly successful at preventing serious illness and death. The company also noted that the pill is effective against the newly identified omicron form, though more research is required.
According to Pfizer, if Paxlovid is administered within three days of the onset of symptoms, it is 89 percent effective in reducing the chance of hospitalization or death, and 88 percent effective if administered within five days.
According to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, “This news provides further confirmation that our oral antiviral candidate if authorized or approved could have a meaningful impact on many lives, as the data further support the efficacy of PAXLOVID in reducing hospitalization and death, as well as demonstrating a significant decrease in viral load.”
As a result of this, it is possible that the treatment candidate will save the lives of patients throughout the world.
The drug Molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in collaboration, was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients by 30 percent in a clinical trial.
In the United States, Merck’s tablet has been approved for patients 18 and older who are at high risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19 and “for whom alternative COVID-19 therapy alternatives authorized by the FDA are not readily available or clinically suitable.”