The first Australian guidelines for the two new COVID-19 antivirals that GPs can prescribe warn that one of them — molnupiravir — should be prescribed only as a last resort.  

The Federal Government has ordered 500,000 courses of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) and 300,000 courses of molnupiravir (Legavrio), but global demand has left both drugs in short supply.

As a result it is expected that initially GPs will initially access them through the National Medical Stockpile, along with hospitals and aged care facilities, rather than pharmacies dispensing to patients under the PBS.

According to the guidelines published by the COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce today, both drugs must be taken within five days of symptom onset and are taken for five days.