The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revised the Emergency Use Authorization for Paxlovid, allowing pharmacists to prescribe the medication to eligible patients, with specific limitations, for the Covid-19 virus, reported Magruder Hospital’s Rachel Fall, head of Community Outreach in Port Clinton.

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep Covid-positive high-risk patients from getting so sick they need to be hospitalized. If anyone in the community tests positive for Covid-19 and a health care provider writes them a prescription, they can take pills at home and lower their risk of going to the hospital.

At this time, The Pharmacy at Magruder will maintain its process that a patient testing positive for Covid-19 should consult their Primary Care Provider, or Emergency Room physician, if they are in the ER, to see if Paxlovid is right for them. The patient can bring the script to Magruder. Hospital’s pharmacy to get it filled.

Magruder’s Pharmacy is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The Pharmacy is located next to Magruder’s ER and Urgent Care on the main campus.