COVID-19 Care in the Community and Response update 22/07/2022

• COVID-19 Care in the Community 
  • The oral COVID-19 therapeutics nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (Paxlovid™) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio®) are being reclassified from prescription-only medicines to restricted medicines, enabling pharmacists to supply to those who meet Pharmac’s criteria. It is anticipated this change will come into effect from 28 July 2022. Te Whatu Ora will send out invitations to participating pharmacists shortly to join online training on Tuesday 26 July at 7.30pm-9.30pm about these changes.  
  • From today, 18 July 2022, access to COVID-19 therapeutics has been widened. It now includes all people aged 75 years and over, and those who have been admitted previously to an intensive care unit as a direct result of COVID-19. The factors Māori and Pacific Peoples are required to have to access these antiviral treatments have also been reduced. Full access criteria can be found here. 
  • Last week, the Government announced that people at a higher risk of acute respiratory illness from COVID-19 who meet Pharmac’s therapeutics criteria are now able to get a prescription from their doctor for COVID-19 medicines before they get COVID-19. This means the prescription is ready to use if they become unwell. Advance supply is not available via a pharmacy. 

• COVID-19 Response 
  • Anyone in Aotearoa New Zealand can get free rapid antigen tests (RATs) after the Government significantly expanded eligibility last week with people no longer required to have COVID-19 symptoms or live with a case. Free RATs can be ordered through requestrats.covid19.health.nz and picked up from community collection sites. People can also collect free masks from community collection sites around the motu – information on the nearest site to collect free RATs and masks is on Healthpoint.