Anti-viral medication is now available at pharmacies for COVID-positive people without the need for a prescription, with the aim to keep more people out of our over-stretched hospitals.
Gloria Kiddie and her husband Robbie have both survived COVID-19.
"For the first couple of days, I felt... yuck."
But only one of them was prescribed anti-viral medication
"A nurse rang and asked. She thought I would be a good candidate for this Paxlovid," Gloria said.
"If I hadn't have had that, I said to my husband, I thought I might've gone to hospital."
Robbie, her husband, was advised against anti-virals. He was told it could react badly with other medication he was on, a risk flagged by his doctor.
But a doctor's oversight of anti-viral COVID medication is now no longer required.
Anti-viral medicines are available today over the counter in over 400 pharmacies across the country without the need for a doctor's prescription.
It's a concern for Gloria because while Paxlovid worked for her, it was potentially dangerous for her husband.
"Unless the pharmacist knows exactly what medication that person is on, there could be a risk I think."
It's a risk Sam Tibsharaeny, a pharmacist at Westmere Pharmacy, says they're aware of and have been working to eliminate.
"It's important that pharmacies have access to wider patient records to be able to safely prescribe these products, so that has required new software and new platforms for us to access patient histories thoroughly. That has taken a few teething problems, there has been some technical glitches."
It's hoped expanding access to anti-virals will help reduce the burden on the health system and overstretched intensive care wards.
"This is about easier and more timely access to COVID-19 medicines that have been proven to reduce hospitalisation for those most at risk of severe disease," said chief medical officer Dr Pete Watson at Counties Manukau Health.
The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday 7627 new COVID community cases, with 827 people in hospital and 24 people in ICU.
"We are under significant amounts of pressure, just like the rest of the country," said Mark Gilbert clinical director at Christchurch Hospital ED.
Better access to anti-virals means more people like Gloria can avoid time in a hospital ward.
