Ngā rongoā patu huaketo mō te KOWHEORI-19 COVID-19 antiviral medicine
If you are not eligible for funded COVID-19 antiviral medicine
Paxlovid is available to purchase privately from some pharmacies if you are not eligible for funded antivirals.
To purchase privately will require paying the full commercial price for the medicine and any services required to access the medicine, such as a consultation with your doctor or pharmacist.
For further advice, contact your healthcare provider to discuss options.
When to take COVID-19 antiviral medicine
You must start taking COVID-19 antiviral medicine within the first 5 days of feeling sick with COVID-19.
The evidence is clear that the sooner you start the medicine, the better the protection. Antivirals do not reduce risks if you start after day 5.
Antivirals are not used to treat long COVID.
How to get COVID-19 antiviral medicine
If you test positive for COVID-19, or are a household contact, talk to your usual doctor, healthcare provider, pharmacist or hauora provider to see if you are eligible for COVID-19 antiviral medicine.
Getting COVID-19 antiviral medicine from a pharmacy
Many pharmacies will also be able to supply funded COVID-19 antiviral medicine without a prescription if you test positive for COVID-19, or are a household contact, and you meet the other eligibility criteria for COVID-19.
If you are eligible for funded antiviral medicine, the pharmacist will check to make sure the medicine is right for you, and tell you what you need to know about taking these safely.
They will ask you about:
- your current health
- your health history
- any other medicines or treatments you take or have been taking, including rongoā rākau (plant remedies)
- whether you might be pregnant.
If your local pharmacy does not have COVID-19 antiviral medicine, they can tell you the nearest pharmacy that does. You can also check the Healthpoint website.
Pharmacies where you do not need a prescription — Healthpoint (external link)
You will need a prescription to get antiviral medicine at these pharmacies.
Pharmacies where you need a prescription — Healthpoint (external link)
Getting a prescription before you get sick
If you are at risk of serious illness, but do not have COVID-19 symptoms, you may be able to get a prescription before you get COVID-19. This means the pharmacy will have the prescription ready to use if you become unwell.
If you test positive, you can then arrange to have the antiviral medicine delivered by your friends, whānau or the pharmacy.
Your doctor, healthcare provider, nurse or pharmacist will confirm that it is still safe for you to take COVID-19 antiviral medicine when you test positive for COVID-19.
Talk to your doctor, healthcare provider, pharmacist or hauora provider if you think that you, or a member of your whānau may be eligible for antiviral medicine. You can also ask if getting a prescription before you get unwell is right for you.
How to get COVID-19 antiviral medicine if you are isolating
If you have COVID-19, we recommend you isolate for 5 days, even if you only have mild symptoms.
If you are eligible for antiviral medicine, arrange to have them delivered by friends, whānau or by other means. Some pharmacies can deliver the medicine.
Which COVID-19 antiviral medicines are available for eligible people
COVID-19 antiviral medicine is available to treat early COVID-19 at home. These include:
- ritonavir with nirmatrelvir (branded as Paxlovid).
Paxlovid is recommended for people who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. When taken within the first 5 days of your COVID-19 illness, Paxlovid can help you stay out of hospital.
Paxlovid
Paxlovid is 2 medicines (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) that you take together. They reduce the amount of virus in your body. You take Paxlovid tablets for 5 days.
Your healthcare provider will speak with you to see whether or not you can safely take Paxlovid.
Visit the Healthify website for information about Paxlovid including how to take it and what to think about before you take it.
Paxlovid — Healthify (external link)
Return of symptoms following Paxlovid treatment
For some people, symptoms may return after completing a course of Paxlovid. This is known as Paxlovid rebound.
People experiencing Paxlovid rebound do not appear to get severely ill. Symptoms are usually mild to moderate and typically resolve within 3 days.
It is normal for some people recovering from COVID-19 to have symptoms that come and go for some time, regardless of whether they have taken antiviral medicines.
You should stay home and recover until 24 hours after you no longer have symptoms if:
- your symptoms return after finishing the 5-day course of Paxlovid, and
- it is 28 days or less since you first got symptoms or tested positive.
There is no need to take another course of Paxlovid if your symptoms return during this time.
Report your side effects
You can report side effects online.
Report a side effect to a product — Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (external link)
Allergic reactions to antiviral medicines
Serious allergic reactions are rare. Tell your healthcare provider about any allergies you have.
Signs of an allergic reaction include:
- skin rash
- puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
- chest tightness and trouble breathing.
Call 111 immediately if you have swelling or trouble breathing.
If you have any other signs of an allergic reaction, call your healthcare provider or Healthline on 0800 611 116
Medicines given in hospital
Some other medicines are available to treat COVID-19 but are only given in hospital.
You can find information about these medicines on the Healthify website.
COVID-19 treatment while you are in hospital — Healthify (external link)
More information about COVID-19 antiviral medicines
Pharmac
Pharmac, the agency which decides what medicines are available in New Zealand, has more information on its website.
New Zealand’s COVID-19 treatments portfolio — Pharmac (external link)
Healthify
Healthify has more information on COVID-19 and medicines on their website.