JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The short supply of Paxlovid (Pfizer) and Molnupiravir (Merck) COVID-19 antiviral pills is being felt in Northeast Florida.
Agape Family Health says it has a low supply of COVID-19 antiviral treatment pills and is only giving them to current Agape patients.
The Florida Department of Health lists the Walmart at 12100 Lem Turner Rd. as the only site that carries the treatment pills.
The pills are a vital tool in the battle against COVID-19.
Both pills have been authorized for emergency use by the FDA. A recent study showed people who took Paxlovid were 88 percent less likely to be hospitalized.
Jacksonville is the 12th largest city by population, but has received less than 0.1 percent of the country's available supply of both pills.
Dr. Shalika Katugaha, System Medical Director of Infectious Diseases at Baptist Health, says the pills act like Tamiflu for the flu. In addition to vaccines, she says the pills are the next best weapon against COVID-19.
"It's kind of wonderful that we have these medications coming up we have oral pills coming up we have more monoclonal antibodies that are available to us so we're just right now it's a tight moment but we're so much better off than where we have been," Dr. Katugaha said.
First Coast News reached out to the following pharmacies, none of which have any treatment pills:
- AHF Pharmacy - 2 Shircliff Way
- CareMax Pharmacy - 2789 Park Street
- CareMax Pharmacy - 5547 Normandy Blvd.
- Duval Pharmacy - 2386 Dunn Ave.
- O'Steen's Pharmacy - 757 Edgewood Ave N.
- Panama Pharmacy - 7307 N Main St.
- Pharmacy Plus - 7645 Merrill Rd.
- Preston Pharmacy - 6022 Atlantic Blvd.
- Roberts' South Bank Pharmacy - 1625 Atlantic Blvd.