Antivirals like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir can help you recover from Covid-19 faster–right from home. Get started by completing a virtual health assessment.
Paxlovid is a prescription antiviral pill manufactured by Pfizer and currently considered to be the most effective at-home treatment for mild to moderate cases of Covid-19. It decreases the chances of hospitalization or death for high risk patients by 89%.
If you test positive for Covid-19, you can get a prescription consultation from Dr. B, have the prescription delivered to your pharmacy, then take a course of 30 pills at home until you recover. Paxlovid is provided for free by the U.S. government for as long as Covid-19 continues to be a public health emergency. It must be taken within five days of the onset of Covid-19 symptoms.
Molnupiravir (or Lagevrio) is another prescription antiviral that treats mild to moderate Covid-19 in high-risk patients. It’s manufactured by Merck and shares similarities with Paxlovid including a course of pills taken over five days and the need to start treatment within 5 days of symptoms beginning. The medication is also provided for free.
However Molnupiravir is less effective than Paxlovid at preventing serious illness. It decreases the chances of hospitalization or death for high risk patients by only 30-50%. This is still significant and a good option for patients who may not qualify for Paxlovid due to pre-existing conditions or conflicts with medication. (Paxlovid has many drug interactions, while Molnupiravir has very few.)
The FDA has designated Molnupiravir as a backup option if no other Covid-19 treatments are available or appropriate.
Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are at-home treatments for high-risk patients experiencing mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms. You may be eligible for a prescription consultation if you:
Are a high-risk patient with one of the following conditions:
Chronic lung diseases limited to:
Disabilities
Mental health disorders limited to:
In 2021, we launched the free Dr. B vaccine waitlist to match patients with providers who had extra vaccine doses. The goal was to get as many shots in arms as possible. Now we’re advancing our goal in a new way: by offering online prescription consultations for Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, the primary at-home Covid-19 treatments.
As an antiviral treatment, Paxlovid fights off Covid-19 with a combination of two different medications. Within the three-pill dose, two of the pills are Nirmatrelvir, which prevents the Covid-19 protein from replicating, while the other is Ritonavir, a medication that boosts Nirmatrelvir’s effectiveness by slowing its metabolization by the liver, giving it more time to fight the infection.
Molnupiravir is taken as a 4-pill dose, twice a day for five days. It stops the Covid-19 virus from replicating by inserting itself directly into the genetic material that the virus uses to copy itself, thereby preventing growth of the virus.
No, neither Paxlovid nor Molnupiravir should be taken more than once in a 90-day span. If you are experiencing a new or rebound infection or if your original symptoms have not improved after a course of treatment, you should seek follow-up care with an in-person provider.
According to the CDC, a small percentage of patients may experience “Paxlovid rebound” where Covid-19 symptoms briefly return 2-8 days after initial recovery. Researchers are still trying to understand why this is and whether it’s tied to Paxlovid or other factors. However the medication continues to be recommended as the most effective treatment for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 among high risk patients.
For those that do experience rebound Covid-19, the symptoms are usually milder and there are no reports of progression to severe disease or a need for additional treatment. That being said, patients may still be contagious and will need to continue isolating to avoid passing the virus to others.
We will continue to update this information as new data and guidance becomes available.
For Paxlovid, patients take two doses each day, spaced 12 hours apart, for five days. A dose of Paxlovid contains two pink pills (Nirmatrelvir) and one white pill (Ritonavir). All three should be taken together.
For Molnupiravir, patients also take two doses each day, spaced 12 hours apart, for five days. A dose of Molnupiravir contains four red-colored capsules. All four should be taken together.
Pills / capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water, not chewed, broken or crushed. It’s important to finish the full course of the medication, even if symptoms begin to improve.
Paxlovid is typically well-tolerated. Any side effects are generally mild, and include the following:
Molnupiravir is also typically well-tolerated. Any side effects are generally mild, and include the following:
The following medications can be taken with Paxlovid, but may cause side effects. Paxlovid should only be taken with these medications if you are under the in-person supervision of your primary care doctor. (We’ve included examples of popular drugs in each category, but there may be other brands or generics not listed here.)
No drug interactions for Molnupiravir have been identified based on limited available data. Clinical studies of drug interactions have not been conducted yet, however Molnupiravir does not have inhibitors or inducers of common drug metabolizing enzymes, which makes interactions with other medications unlikely.
Paxlovid has negative interactions with many drugs. If you are taking any of the following medications, Paxlovid is not the right treatment for you and you’ll want to follow up with your primary care provider to discuss alternate options.
If you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding then you should not take Molnupiravir. Men with female partners should use reliable forms of birth control while using this medication and for three months after stopping treatment.
Consultation: A virtual medical consultation for Covid-19 costs $15, which is lower than most doctor co-pays. Currently we don’t submit medical consultation claims to insurance companies, but you can use insurance for any resulting prescriptions at your pharmacy.
Medication: The U.S. government is providing Covid-19 antiviral treatments for free at pharmacies across the country. The drug will be free of charge for as long as Covid-19 remains a public health crisis.
Dr. B does not accept insurance or submit claims to insurance companies at this time.
Everyone should have access to quality health care. To support that goal, we’re providing no-cost consults for Covid-19 treatments to qualifying patients.
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“The process could not have been easier. My chart was reviewed by a licensed professional and I was able to pick up my prescription at my preferred local pharmacy within a few hours.”
Meghan E. from Florida
Verified Patient
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