MILWAUKEE— Less than two months after the FDA approved the first of two COVID-19 antiviral pills in the United States, initial fears about supply shortages haven't played out yet, at least not at one Wisconsin pharmacy.
"We've seen pretty low demand compared to what we were expecting," said Maren Rasmussen, a pharmacist with Neuhauser Pharmacy in Madison. "We've gotten in two shipments at our pharmacy in Madison and we still have supply from both of those shipments, actually... We see about 1-2 prescriptions a day for the COVID-19 pills."
Unlike the vaccines which data shows help to prevent transmission of COVID-19, and lessen symptoms for those who contract it, these antiviral pills help to ease symptoms for someone who's already contracted the virus, as Merck continues to test whether it, too, could also help to limit transmission.
"They're supposed to be given to people who are at high-risk of disease progression after a positive COVID-19 test," Rasmussen added. "It is just for someone who is positive [and is] at a higher risk of severe disease progression."
You can watch the entire interview with Maren Rasmussen and Jason Fechner above.