The American Medical Association last week warned against the Biden administration’s “test-to-treat” plan that bypasses physicians and lets pharmacists dispense Pfizer, Merck COVID-19 antivirals directly to patients, saying the approach “flaunts patient safety and risks significant negative health outcomes.”
The American Medical Association (AMA), in a press release on March 4, warned against the Biden administration’s test-to-treat plan saying the approach “flaunts patient safety and risks significant negative health outcomes.”
“The AMA is pleased the administration is ramping up supply of antivirals so in the near future they will be broadly available,” the organization said. “But, in the meantime, establishing pharmacy-based clinics as one-stop shopping for COVID-19 testing and treatments is extremely risky.”
The AMA said the plan was “well-intentioned” but claimed it oversimplified challenging prescribing decisions by “omitting knowledge of a patient’s medical history, the complexity of drug interactions and managing possible negative reactions.”
The AMA noted for example, that Pfizer’s Paxlovid — a COVID antiviral pill Biden would make available through the test-to-treat plan — is 88% effective at preventing hospitalization and death.
Read More: American Medical Association: Biden ‘Test to Treat’ Plan Sets Dangerous Precedent
