Hard-to-Import 'Oral Therapeutics': Used or Unusable?

36,719 People, Over 30,000 Cases for Four Consecutive Days
Paxlovid Prescription Rate Low at 4%
Strict Prescription Criteria and Tight Controls
Supply Insufficient Compared to Confirmed Cases

Paxlovid, an oral COVID-19 treatment, has been stocked at a pharmacy in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Criticism is being raised that the prescription and administration of the orally administered COVID-19 treatment ‘Paxlovid,’ which was difficult to import into Korea, are not being properly carried out. It is pointed out that more active prescription of the treatment is necessary to prevent severe illness in patients undergoing home treatment.

According to health authorities and the medical community on the 8th, the total amount of Paxlovid contracted with Pfizer by the government is enough for 762,000 people. Among these, the actual amount imported into Korea is a total of 32,000 doses, including the initial shipment of 21,000 doses on the 13th of last month and an additional 11,000 doses brought in on the 1st of this month.

However, as of the 3rd, the cumulative number of prescriptions and administrations in Korea is only 1,275 doses. The administration rate is less than 4%. The health authorities explained that this is because the prescription criteria are strict, including age restrictions and contraindicated concurrent medications, and stated, "We have urged medical staff to comply with the treatment guidelines and actively utilize the treatment."

In fact, there are complaints from the medical field that even when trying to administer the drug according to the prescription criteria set by the health authorities, it is not properly carried out. A hospital official lamented, "Even if we try to prescribe according to the criteria announced by the health authorities, all supplies are controlled by the authorities, so we have to plead to get the medicine." Especially after the Omicron variant surge, with daily confirmed cases in the 30,000 range, the currently secured amount of treatment drugs is far from sufficient. The schedule for additional imports has not yet been confirmed.

The treatment effect of Paxlovid is considered excellent. According to a survey conducted by the health authorities on 63 initial users, 44 (80%) responded that their symptoms improved. Notably, none of the users progressed to severe illness or death. Accordingly, the prescription target for Paxlovid in Korea is expected to gradually expand. The health authorities have expanded the target from those aged 60 and over and immunocompromised individuals to include patients in their 50s with underlying conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its use for children and adults aged 12 and over, weighing at least 40 kg, who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms.

Paxlovid is known to be most effective when administered within 3 days of symptom onset and must be administered within 5 days to be effective. Experts emphasize that as the patient management system has shifted to home treatment-centered care, rapid prescription of the treatment is necessary to reduce severe cases. Yeom Ho-gi, Chair of the COVID-19 Countermeasures Committee of the Korean Medical Association, said, "With a low prescription rate, it is impossible to prevent patients from worsening," and added, "If doctors make prescription decisions based on professional judgment, treatment should be administered quickly."

Meanwhile, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the day, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 36,719 from the previous day, reaching a cumulative total of 1,081,681. The number of new confirmed cases remained in the 30,000 range for the fourth consecutive day. Deaths increased by 36, and the number of critically ill patients decreased by 2 to 268.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.