![Pharmacist with mask holds up Paxlovid.](https://cdn.businessinsider.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/621f3ede96929400196c32d6-scaled.jpg?ver=1646229767)
- Some Americans will soon get antivirals for free at pharmacies, President Joe Biden has said.
- If eligible people test positive, they can receive Pfizer's antiviral pill on the spot, he said.
- Experts warned the rollout, due to launch this month, could face practical challenges.
Americans at risk of developing severe COVID-19 will be able to get Pfizer's antiviral drugs free of charge if they test positive at a pharmacy, President Joe Biden said.
In his State of Union Address Tuesday, Biden said: "We're launching the 'Test to Treat' initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they're positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost."
"If you get COVID-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90%," he said.
While COVID-19 hospitalizations are declining, the US is still recording a weekly average of 46,451 hospital admissions and thousands of deaths per day, the most recent Johns Hopkins University data shows. Early prescription of antiviral pills could help check the number of individuals needing hospital treatment.
Biden said that the US had "ordered more of these pills than anyone in the world" and Pfizer was "working overtime" to get 1 million pills to the US this month – and "more than double that next month".
"If you're immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability, we have treatments and free high-quality masks," he said.
"We're leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone's needs as we move forward," he added.
Hundreds of sites nationwide will begin offering the drug – called Paxlovid – this month, including at outlets of CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger, a White House official said, per CNBC. It will also be available at community health centers.
Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. It helps prevent vulnerable people with COVID-19 from getting sick and requiring hospital treatment, rather than stopping an infection.
The pill was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in December for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in persons older than 12 years of age, and in children below that age who weigh more than 40kg.
The FDA stipulates the drug should only be administered to individuals who have tested positive and are at risk of developing severe COVID-19.
Disease experts have cautioned in the past that, while the drug is a useful tool for protecting those at high-risk of developing severe COVID-19, its effectiveness may be hindered by practicalities.
It must be given within five days of symptom onset, ideally as soon as possible after diagnosis, according to the FDA, and a course of treatment means taking three tablets twice a day for five consecutive days.
Eric Topol, director at Scripps University, said on Twitter Wednesday in response to Biden's announcement that rapid tests and free Paxlovid treatment was "important". "We need a much better supply of anti-COVID pills, accurate tests, and solid coordination with pharmacists to pull this off," he said.
Others cautioned that many Americans, even at high risk of disease, might not be eligible for Paxlovid or require close monitoring due to potential interactions with commonly-used drugs like cholesterol-lowering statins, cancer treatments and HIV medications.