MADISON, Wis. — The first round of COVID-19 antiviral pills are available at local healthcare providers, but there aren’t enough for everyone who qualifies.
Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services allocated more than 5,000 antiviral pill courses to health care providers across the state.
UW Health received only a couple dozen courses. Officials there said it’s too soon to tell what impact the treatment will have.
The health care provider plans to prioritize people who are at the highest risk of becoming severely sick or dying from COVID-19.
“I would love to give these therapies to everyone who qualifies, but I simply can’t right now, so we try to do the most good for the most people,” Bartho Caponi, an internal medicine hospitalist from UW Health, said.
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UW Health expects to receive more courses of the antiviral pills as they become available. In the meantime, they are urging patience.
SSM Health said St. Mary’s Hospital will get “a couple dozen doses soon.”
“Our community pharmacies in Madison will also receive a couple dozen courses at each location,” Mo Kharbat, SSM Health Wisconsin’s vice president of pharmacy services said. “We expect receiving additional supplies at more SSM locations outside of Madison in the coming weeks.”
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