Texas receives limited supply of COVID pills

Texas has received limited quantities of oral medications to treat COVID that doctors say could be a “game-changer.” The federal government allocated an undisclosed amount of Paxlovid and Molnupiravir pills to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the state agency said this week. Patients will need a prescription from a health care provider to get the medicine, DSHS spokeswoman Lara M. Anton said in an email. High-risk patients with mild to moderate infection will be prioritized. The state health department expects to receive more medication from the federal government in January.

Throughout Texas, 116 pharmacies will dispense the pills. In Harris County, the medications will be available at H-E-B, Kroger, Wal-Mart and Walgreens. DSHS provides maps of which pharmacies will have them. The medication is free to patients, but pharmacies or other types of health care providers still could charge dispensing and other fees. “Coverage by each insurance company will differ like it does for all other procedures and medications,” Anton said. The National Institutes of Health suggests unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals with clinical risk factors for severe illness, and vaccinated individuals who are not expected to mount an adequate immune response will get priority in prescribing. This could be people undergoing cancer treatment, receiving an organ transplant, or having advanced HIV, among other conditions.