Doctors in Taiwan have cited concerns over costs, testing delays, and potential interactions for the low prescription of oral COVID-19 drugs, which have only been used to treat just over 3,000 people despite daily case numbers surpassing 50,000.

Up until May 9, two orally administered medicines used to treat COVID-19, Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, have only been used to treat 2,130 and 992 people, respectively.

Taiwan has reported 370,933 domestic cases room Jan. 1 to May 9, recording 50,828 new cases and 12 deaths from the disease on Tuesday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Hung Tzu-jen (???), deputy superintendent at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, said that Paxlovid interacts with more than 1,000 other drugs, including many that treat chronic liver and kidney diseases, and blood sugar, lipid, and pressure levels.

The interactions may make Paxlovid unsuitable for many patients with underlying conditions, he said.

Hung further pointed out that the prescription process of the drugs may also be a problem.

Previously, only hospitals were allowed to prescribe the drugs, and only a limited number of pharmacies — 57 — have recently been given the green light to give Paxlovid and Molnupiravir to those in home quarantine.

Lin Ying-jan (???), a doctor who runs his own clinic, said that some were worried about the financial penalties of unnecessarily prescribing drugs that cost around NT$20,000 (US$674.56) per course.

In addition, as the two types of medicines are meant to be administered within five days of onset of symptoms, it is often too late to prescribe them by the time people are confirmed as positive, particularly given the skyrocketing demand for PCR tests, Lin said.

Hung said that in order to make more effective use of the drugs, the CECC should reserve testing capacity for those over 65 years old or those considered in high-risk groups so that they can receive the medicines as soon as they test positive.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel