There are concerns in Alberta about the accessibility and affordability of Paxlovid, after the federal government ended its program supplying the COVID-19 treatment to provinces, which provided the drug for free to specific groups of high-risk patients.
One treatment course costs approximately $1,400, according to Randy Howden, president of the Alberta Pharmacists' Association."I think that there's probably been a decrease in the number of pharmacies keeping the product in stock.… So it's probably harder to access in those cases." At Calgary's Sage Plus Clinical Pharmacy, manager Joyce Choi said she can't afford to have it on hand."It's a lot of financial burden for a small business.…. For me to keep a product that may or may not be sold for a very restricted population, it's difficult to ask.
According to Dr. Lynora Saxinger, University of Alberta infectious diseases specialist, Paxlovid can still be beneficial for some high-risk groups. And those without any coverage can choose to pay out-of-pocket for the drug, if it's prescribed, said an Alberta Health spokesperson.Even if private insurance covers Paxlovid, she said, co-payments can add up to hundreds of dollars." up in the hospital, which obviously accumulates further financial burdens on the province."
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »