Paxlovid is already reimbursed in France under conditions.
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It is the anti-Covid pill developed by the Pfizer group. The High Authority for Health (HAS) issued an opinion on Monday April 25 aimed at facilitating the prescription of Paxlovid. “The HAS is in favor of the reimbursement of Paxlovid”, announced the authority in a press release, recalling however that only patients at risk of serious complications are concerned. The Paxlovid is, in reality, already reimbursed in France. But these are emergency procedures, known as “early access”. By issuing this opinion, which must now be ratified by the government, the HAS is in favor of entering into common law.
Concretely, this development would make prescribing much easier for doctors, who currently have to follow a complex procedure each time Paxlovid is prescribed, in particular via an online questionnaire. “Registration for reimbursement of this treatment should facilitate the prescription of Paxlovid in community medicine and therefore its access for patients”explained the HAS.
Not everyone is affected by the HAS recommendation, since it is limited to people at risk when they do not need to be placed on oxygen. This potentially represents many categories of people, including patients over 65 and those who are overweight. The number of patients eligible for Paxlovid “can thus be estimated at a maximum of 20% of the number of new cases”estimates the HAS.
The opinion of the HAS follows a similar position of the World Health Organization (WHO) by a few days. However, the two institutions underline a limit of the Paxlovid. To be effective, it must be given very soon after the first symptoms. “The earliness of administration in relation to the onset of symptoms – within five days of the onset of symptoms – is an important point”notes the HAS.