The Hospital Authority has updated its recommendations for prescribing two oral Covid-19 medications, which can be prescribed to Covid-19 patients aged 60 or older, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not.
As for patients under the age of 60, who have long-term illness, obesity and other high-risk factors, and who have not completed the vaccination, they can also receive prescription oral drugs.
Adolescent patients aged 12 years or above and who have reached the target weight can also take Pfizer's oral drug Paxlovid according to the relevant medication guidelines.
Adolescent patients aged 12 years or above and who have reached the target weight can also take Pfizer's oral drug Paxlovid according to the relevant medication guidelines.
(Photo by the Information Services Department)
Prescribing factors for patients under the age of 60: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, etc.
The Hospital Authority today updated its recommendations for prescribing two new coronavirus oral drugs, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid. Patients aged 60 or above who are diagnosed with symptoms can be prescribed oral drugs within five days of onset of symptoms, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not.
As for patients under the age of 60, only those who have not completed the vaccination, have high risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, or have serious immune system problems, will be prescribed oral drugs.
Merck's Molonupiravir is only suitable for patients aged 18 or above. The latest medication recommendations of the Hospital Authority point out that children and adolescent patients aged 12 or above who weigh 40kg or above can be prescribed Paxlovid according to the relevant medication guidelines.
Also, Paxlovid should not be prescribed to patients with severe liver problems.
Cui Junming, president of the Hong Kong Society of Hospital Pharmacists, pointed out that patients aged 60 or above can now be prescribed oral medicines (file photo)
Institute of Hospital Pharmacists: Prescription Oral Drugs in Hong Kong Are Loose Arrangements
Cui Junming, president of the Hong Kong Society of Hospital Pharmacists, pointed out that at present, patients aged 60 or above can be prescribed oral medicines, which is a loose medication recommendation. Vaccinated patients belong to the priority group.
He said that according to the guidelines of the pharmaceutical company, patients with severe liver and kidney problems such as liver cirrhosis and kidney dialysis should not take Paxlovid, and those with moderate kidney failure should reduce the dose by half.
In addition, children and adolescents under the age of 18 should not take Molonupiravir because it affects bone and cartilage growth.
Children and adolescents under the age of 18 should not take Molonupiravir.
(Reuters photo)
At present, people aged 60 or above can be prescribed oral drugs for COVID-19 regardless of whether they have injections or not. However, Cui Junming said that there is one thing that the public should pay attention to. The participants in the clinical studies on oral drugs by the two pharmaceutical companies were all unvaccinated patients. The current research points out that the data on hospital admissions and deaths that can be reduced cannot be directly used for vaccinated patients, but it is believed that even if they have been vaccinated, there will be no problem with taking oral medicines.
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