70s Male Home Treatment Patient Prescribed Oral COVID-19 Antiviral... First Domestic Case

On the morning of the 14th, the oral COVID-19 treatment 'Paxlovid' arrived at a designated pharmacy in Guro-gu, Seoul, where a pharmacy staff member is checking the quantity. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first domestic case of a COVID-19 home treatment patient being prescribed oral antiviral medication has been reported.

On the afternoon of the 14th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced that a man in his 70s, who tested positive for COVID-19, was the first in Daejeon to receive a prescription for oral antiviral medication through a non-face-to-face consultation, and he is scheduled to take the medication at 8 p.m.

The man underwent a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test the previous day due to symptoms such as coughing and was confirmed positive that morning. After a basic epidemiological investigation, he was designated for home treatment and received a non-face-to-face consultation at Daejeon Korea Hospital, the managing medical institution.

The physician in charge of the non-face-to-face consultation conducted a medical interview regarding the patient’s health status and underlying conditions, checked the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) system to confirm there were no contraindicated medications currently being taken, and then decided to prescribe the oral antiviral medication. The pharmacy, following this prescription, conducted a duplicate DUR check and dispensed the medication to the patient.

The patient is scheduled to take the treatment at 8 p.m. according to the medical staff’s prescription and the pharmacy’s medication guidance. The managing medical institution plans to confirm the medication intake and health status by phone 1 to 2 hours after administration.

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