How do you get Paxlovid if you test positive and can't see a doctor? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

BOSTON - Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your latest health questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Noria asks, "How do you get Paxlovid if you test positive and can't see a doctor?"

Paxlovid is the oral antiviral medication commonly used to treat COVID-19, and it requires a prescription. It's not available over the counter. So if you test positive at home, you can call your primary care provider for advice over the phone.

If you don't have a primary care provider and live in Massachusetts, you can schedule a free telehealth visit specifically for COVID-19 treatment on the mass.gov website. Or you can go to the CVS (or here) or Walgreens websites and consult with a pharmacist to see if you're eligible for Paxlovid. Pharmacists can now prescribe Paxlovid in some cases.

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.  

In:
• Health
• COVID-19
• Paxlovid

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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