Pharmacies warned to hand out Covid drugs only to patients with prescription
Pharmacies must dispense Covid-19 antiviral drugs only to patients with a prescription, the Public Health Ministry warned.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration had decided to allow pharmacies to sell Favipiravir, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid from Thursday.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday that he ordered pharmacies to hand out the Covid-19 drugs only to patients with prescriptions because doctors can now decide which patients need what antiviral drugs.
He also ordered related organisations such as the Food and Drug Administration and provincial public health offices to monitor information on antiviral drug dispensation at pharmacies.
Meanwhile, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) reported that it had started dispensing Covid-19 antiviral drugs via telemedicine apps from July 11.
The NHSO said the following three applications have been used 9,043 times, or 177.3 per day, on average for the purpose:
- Good Doctor (patients with mild or no symptoms in Greater Bangkok and Chonburi) – 4,942 times
- MorDee (patients with mild or no symptoms in all areas) – 1,950 times
- Clicknic (patients with mild or no symptoms and vulnerable patients in all areas) – 2,152 times.
The NHSO also launched its “Outpatient with Self-Isolation” programme on June 24 involving 532 pharmacies across the country.
According to information on Monday, 55,482 patients have been treated under the programme. Most – or 21,200 patients – are from Bangkok, followed by Nonthaburi with 4,564, Chonburi 4,367, Chiang Mai 2,806, Nakhon Pathom 2,651 and patients from other provinces.
