From public mask warrants to employee vaccine requirements, retailers across the United States have had to adapt to work during the coronavirus pandemic. And the fight is far from over. This month alone, Walmart had to impose a purchase limit on in-home COVID testing to prevent shoppers from racking up tests amid significantly increased demand, as well as temporarily closing locations across the country. countries to initiate additional consolidation measures. Now the retailer has made another COVID announcement you’ll want to hear about. Read on to learn about Walmart’s latest step in the fight against COVID.
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On December 29, Walmart released an announcement advising customers that Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will receive and sell two COVID antiviral drugs this week: Paxlovid and Molnupiravir. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill December 22 and Molnupiravir Pill by Merck on December 23, making it the first two antiviral drugs for COVID available in the United States. According to the FDA, Pfizer’s pill is approved for high-risk people with COVID aged 12 or older, and Merck’s pill is approved for high-risk COVID patients 18 or older.
“This drug offers customers the ability to recuperate at home and helps reduce the burden on our hospitals and communities. As we have been doing since the start of the pandemic, we are proud to support our communities with essential products. everyday, healthy food, vaccines, medicines and other health care needs as we all work together to overcome the pandemic â€, Kevin HostWalmart’s senior vice president of pharmacy said in a statement.
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According to Walmart’s statement, the drug will only be available in certain locations in a limited number of states at this time, “until more supply is available.” Currently, stores in states such as Texas, Tennessee, and Kansas have already received shipments of COVID antiviral pills for distribution this week.
“We are committed to working with our state and federal partners to provide access to new treatment options such as licensed COVID-19 antiviral drugs, as they become available,” Host said.
Pfizer and Merck antiviral pills will only be available at Walmart or Sam’s Club stores if a person has a prescription from a certified healthcare provider. The company said customers and healthcare providers can use the Walmart store locator to find the nearest store or club that owns this drug in order to send an electronic prescription.
“Since COVID-19 antiviral drugs are prescribed for people with COVID-19, they will only be available at Walmart and Sam’s Club by curbside pickup or through drive-thru drugstore windows,” Walmart also said. in its press release. “Please do not enter the store” if you are picking up this drug, the company added in a warning on its website.
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Walmart is not the only retailer responsible for distributing these pills. In Pennsylvania, the state health department is send your first shipments drugs from Pfizer and Merck to drugstore chains, including Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens. Rite Aid said it plans to have “very limited quantities” of Pfizer and Merck pills “as early as next week in a very limited number of stores,” a spokeswoman told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 30. But neither CVS nor Walgreens have made an official statement about the drug’s rollout in its stores.
“Even when it is put into circulation, not all pharmacies will have access”, Patrick lavella, pharmacist and director of Hilltop Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, Pa., told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Deployment is also expected to be slow and availability will be scarce as both manufacturers strive to ramp up production. According to White House officials, the manufacturing process These pills are complex to manufacture and can take six to eight months to manufacture.
“The sobering news is, unfortunately, that this is actually a rather complicated and complex synthetic process that we will be working with the company to determine how we can help alleviate the stress in the long run. length of time it takes to do so “, top White House COVID Advisor Antoine Fauci, MD, said at a press briefing on Dec. 22. “I hope we can shorten this process by working closely with them.”
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