White House plan eases access to COVID-19 pills – but potential roadblocks loom
ABC News
President Biden's new initiative aims to offer a one-stop shop for antivirals.
Inside hundreds of pharmacies across the country, high-risk Americans who test positive for COVID-19 have been told they will soon be able to find and fill a prescription for oral medication directly at the store.
The new White House "test to treat" program, touted as a one-stop shop for antiviral pills from Pfizer and Merck, aims to create a free and streamlined approach to get sick people the lifesaving care they need, when they need it.
Although Pfizer and Merck's COVID-19 pills were authorized in December, scarce supply has made them difficult to access.
Major pharmacies have already begun ordering their new "test to treat" supply directly from the federal government, and anticipate being able to start as early as this week. CVS will offer end-to-end access to the pills at their nearly 1,200 MinuteClinic locations as soon as this week, spokesperson Matthew Blanchette told ABC News, while a Walgreens spokesperson said patients will be able to get the antiviral pills at "select stores" where provider partners are available to assess and prescribe medication.
