GPs prescribing COVID-19 antivirals ‘need more freedom to use their judgment’
Professor Mark Morgan says PBS criteria are, by their nature, too black and white
GPs need more freedom to prescribe COVID-19 antivirals to elderly patients who do not have additional risk factors, the RACGP says.
Since being approved by the TGA in January, there here has been widespread confusion around accessing the drugs, as well as their indications and contraindications.
Currently, patients aged 75 or over require one or more risk factors to be eligible for PBS-subsidised nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) or molnupiravir (Lagevrio), while Aboriginal patients aged 50 or over and other patients aged 65 or over require two risk factors.
Risk factors include being unvaccinated, living in aged care or remote communities, obesity, heart failure or other chronic conditions (see below for the full list).
