Yesterday the Vienna Medical Association complained about the continued poor availability of the Covid drug Paxlovid. In response to an APA request, the office of Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) emphasized that pharmaceutical wholesalers are working hard to make Paxlovid available in pharmacies across the board. The pharmacies returned surpluses to wholesalers for redistribution.
At the same time, supplies from hospitals would be made available to pharmacies, the ministry said. “Patients at risk everywhere have quick access to this drug, which effectively protects against serious corona disease. A new delivery will arrive in Austria in the next one to two weeks. This means we can ensure the continuous availability of Paxlovid,” Rauch’s office announced. The manufacturer has also submitted an application to include Paxlovid in the social security reimbursement code from February 2024. This should mean that Paxlovid can still be prescribed for the account of the social insurance providers.
41,690 ÖGK insured people were on sick leave with Covid-19 in the previous week (week 49). The week before there were around 2,700 fewer. In addition, in the previous week there were 90,405 sick days due to other flu-like infections and 568 due to “real flu” (influenza). “The number of people suffering from the real flu and also from Covid continues to rise,” said ÖGK chief physician Andreas Krauter.
