The new crown oral medicine down the community, to make every box of drugs traceable

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According to media reports, Beijing will unify the distribution of antiviral drug nematovir/ritonavir tablets (Paxlovid) to community health service centers in the near future, and “community doctors will be trained to guide the new crown patients in their districts to take it”, which has sparked heated discussions.

The news that Paxlovid was to be distributed to the community was confirmed by several media outlets, but at the same time, Caixin reporters checked with multiple sources in Beijing’s Chaoyang District and found that it was still “not yet in stock” and “not available”. Just one piece of news has triggered a public debate, which shows the public’s concern about the new oral drug.

Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer, is an oral drug for patients with severe neocon disease. Some studies have shown that Paxlovid can reduce the risk of death in hospitalized patients by 66%. A box of Paxlovid is a matter of social concern. According to the Economic Observer, Paxlovid has been speculated to be up to 16,000 boxes in some channels. Even the Indian generic version has been speculated at a high price of three thousand dollars a box.

New crown virus infection can be cured, and even in critical cases there is hope that the risk of death can be greatly reduced by targeted drugs, and the existence of oral New Crown drugs has given more confidence to high-risk groups to beat New Crown. As early as February this year, the State Drug Administration in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Drug Administration Law, in accordance with the special drug approval procedures, emergency review and approval, conditional approval of Pfizer’s new coronavirus treatment drug Paxlovid import registration, after the drug is also written into the National Health and Health Commission issued the ninth edition of the treatment plan. This time, the Beijing authorities’ arrangement for the sinking of Paxlovid drug into the community should be said to be in full compliance with the relevant national regulations, a sign of respect for science and professionalism, and also acting in a responsible manner towards patients, especially high-risk groups.

With the allocation and rollout of the new crown oral drug to community hospitals that began in Beijing, it is believed that in addition to effectively improving the treatment of critically ill patients, it will also objectively help alleviate supply and demand anxiety about this drug in the market.

Although many people know that Paxlovid is a prescription drug for critically ill patients with neo-crown and most infected people do not need to use it, and there are also studies that show that the drug is not effective in improving symptoms in people with mild Omicron infection either. However, it is the lack of sufficient supply that makes a drug hard to find. In view of the popularity of the drug, according to Caixin, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Discipline Inspection has also entered the community health service centers to monitor the daily use, inventory and procurement of the drug, so that “every box of the drug prescribed can be traced”.

If Paxlovid can be prescribed and used through normal channels, it will naturally be able to greatly alleviate the public’s hunger for the drug, and will also dilute the soil of various speculations on the Internet about high drug prices. Do your best to increase the procurement and supply of the drug, and hopefully the community hospital rollout, which started in Beijing, will be echoed in more places. At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen supervision in the prescription process of drugs, as expected to really do “every box of drugs prescribed can be traced”, squeeze the middle link of the profit-making space, so that special drugs can really be used in a timely and efficient manner to the people who need them.

It is a good thing that the new oral medication is starting to enter the community hospitals, and I look forward to the related work to be rolled out as soon as possible and smoothly.