Despite COVID-19 antiviral drugs being made eligible to more Australians only a week ago, a Queensland medical association says patients with prescriptions are struggling to get them filled.
The federal government loosened eligibility criteria for the drugs earlier this month to reduce the number of COVID-related hospitalisations, particularly ahead of an anticipated third wave of the virus.
But Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) president Maria Boulton said patients and residents of aged care facilities were having major issues accessing the recommended antivirals.
"Doctors are writing the scripts, but patients and residents can't fill them," Dr Boulton said.
"They [antivirals] must be started in the first five days [of COVID symptoms]."
Gold Coast woman Ruth Keat experienced the issue firsthand when trying to fill a script for an elderly neighbour.
"I was going to pick up an antiviral script for her today," she said.
"And the chemist said it was not available on the Gold Coast.
A 'frustrating' scenario for doctors
General practitioner and Bond University Assistant Professor Natasha Yates said the shortage was widespread.
"Unfortunately it's true on the Gold Coast, it's true on the Sunshine Coast, and I'm assuming it's true in Brisbane as well," she said.
"It's definitely a real issue because the point of the antivirals is to get them in early, within the first five days of your symptoms coming on, otherwise it just won't work.
"So it's very frustrating for us all that our patients are not able to actually get the antivirals even if they've managed to get the prescription."
Antivirals 'expensive'
Dr Yates said while it remained unclear what was causing the shortage, she could understand pharmacies not wanting to stockpile the product due to their "very expensive" price tag.
She said it was in the "order of several hundreds dollars to over $1,000 per course".
"There'd be literally thousands of dollars worth of stock on their hands," Dr Yates said.
She said they were an important weapon in the fight against COVID in the community and the supply chain needed to work.
"COVID is around to stay and we need to be able to access the medications that we know will help our patients," Dr Yates said.
Hopes for increased stock
The Queensland branch of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia said community pharmacists statewide were reporting increased demand for antivirals, with the problem stemming from wholesalers.
A spokesperson said the shortage of stock was due to a number of factors, "including the increase in COVID-19 cases as well as the easing of access to these medications".
"As fast as the medicines arrive from the wholesalers, we are getting it out to patients."
The Department of Health and Aged Care insisted there was no shortage of Paxlovid antiviral medication in Queensland and said chemists were responsible for stocking their shelves.
A spokesperson said "stocks were currently available via wholesalers".
Antivirals only for 'serious illnesses'
Dr Yates said it was a positive step to have the preventative treatment option, with antiviral medication for other illnesses often not successful.
She only recommended taking antivirals for serious illnesses "like HIV and COVID right now", pointing out that the side effects from antivirals were "so, so prevalent, and do interact with other medications".
"So it's really a case of you've got to get to the point where the cure is going to be better than the illness and for most viral illnesses, our bodies are able to fight them off and we're a bit miserable for a few days, like you are with your laryngitis, but it's not going to cause you serious long term problems," Dr Yates said.
The Queensland Department of Health has been contacted for comment.
