Starting April 1, more pharmacies can supply COVID-19 antiviral medication to eligible Albertans.

Paxlovid is the first COVID-19 treatment approved by Health Canada that can be taken orally at home. About 375 Albertans have received prescriptions since Jan. 31, when the drug became available in Alberta.

Due to limited supply, Paxlovid was initially available in Alberta at 135 pharmacies. As supply increases, any interested pharmacy in the province will be able to order Paxlovid treatments, improving convenient access to Albertans. Pharmacies providing Paxlovid in their communities can be found online.

“Having a reliable supply of at-home treatments for COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, is critical to lowering the risk of severe outcomes for those who are unvaccinated or have serious medical conditions. However, the best protection continues to be vaccination. Rather than waiting to need treatment, I continue to encourage Albertans to get ahead of COVID-19 and get vaccinated, including boosters.”Jason Copping, Minister of Health