MICHIGAN, USA — Meijer pharmacies in every preparedness region of Michigan are expected to receive more doses of the COVID-19 treatment pills.
This increased distribution comes nearly a week after small amounts of the pills were sent to select pharmacies on the east side of the state, which the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services had deemed the hardest hit by COVID-19.
Now, the MDHHS is confirming that select Meijer pharmacies in every region of Michigan are anticipated to receive doses of the pills early next week.
This shipment will include 2,480 doses of Pfizer's paxlovid and 9,940 doses of Merk's molnupiravir.
While the federal government and President Joe Biden have touted the pills as a way to beat COVID-19, the administering of the medicines has been selective due to scarcity.
"We ask Michiganders to be patient as providers will prioritize people at highest risk for developing serious illness from the virus," said MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel in a release last week. "We are committed to distributing these pills equitably across the state, and access will increase as Michigan receives more allocations from the federal government.”
MDHHS officials say a doctor's prescription is required to receive these medications.
Both pills are used to treat mild to moderate COVID in adults who are at risk for developing a severe infection. Health leaders say that if the medications are taken within five days of developing symptoms, the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits may be lowered.
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