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If you're at high risk for severe Covid-19, taking Paxlovid or Molnupiravir can significantly reduce your chances of hospitalization or death. But you need to start these antiviral medications within 5 days of your first symptoms. Skip the waiting room with our online health assessment and prescription Covid-19 treatments.
Tell us about your condition with a $15 online consultation—no video call necessary.
A medical provider will review your information and prescribe treatment, if appropriate.
Pick up and pay for the medication at the pharmacy of your choice. Or, get it delivered.
Dr. B offers online consultations for $15—which is less than most copays. If a Covid prescription is appropriate, your out-of-pocket medication cost will depend on your insurance and where you decide to get your prescription filled.
Medication
Dr. B offers 2 antiviral treatment options for Covid-19—Paxlovid and Molnupiravir.
Paxlovid is an antiviral medication that can help treat Covid-19 symptoms. It can also reduce the severity of symptoms and lower the chance of severe illness (including hospitalization and death).
Prescription length:
5 days
Application:
Tablets, 2 Nirmatrelvir tablets and 1 Ritonavir tablet taken together orally 2 times a day
at Walgreens, with a drug discount card.
Molnupiravir (under the brand name Lagevrio) is an antiviral medication that can treat mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms. It has few side effects or drug interactions, which makes it a good option for people who aren’t eligible for Paxlovid.
Prescription length:
5 days
Application:
Capsules, 4 capsules taken 2 times a day
at Walgreens, with a drug discount card.
Paxlovid is an antiviral medication that can help treat Covid-19 symptoms. It can also reduce the severity of symptoms and lower the chance of severe illness (including hospitalization and death).
Molnupiravir (under the brand name Lagevrio) is an antiviral medication that can treat mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms. It has few side effects or drug interactions, which makes it a good option for people who aren’t eligible for Paxlovid.
Prescription length:
5 days
Prescription length:
5 days
Application:
Tablets, 2 Nirmatrelvir tablets and 1 Ritonavir tablet taken together orally 2 times a day
Application:
Capsules, 4 capsules taken 2 times a day
at Walgreens, with a drug discount card.
at Walgreens, with a drug discount card.
Looking for a different medication? Here are some options.
Complete a confidential virtual health assessment to learn more.
Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus—one of the coronaviruses. Symptoms can vary widely from one case to another. But the most common Covid-19 symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing, cough, body or muscle aches and loss of taste or smell. People with underlying medical conditions or older adults are at higher risk of severe Covid-19 complications.
Covid-19 is a contagious disease spread through person-to-person contact. The SARS-CoV-2 virus travels via droplets in the air released when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread by touching the face after close contact with an infected person.
Some people with Covid-19 experience no symptoms. Others become sick enough to require a hospital stay. The risk factors for severe Covid-19 include:
Covid-19 cases can vary widely in their severity. Mild cases usually subside in 1-2 weeks. Severe Covid-19 can take 6 or more weeks to go away. Some patients develop long-term symptoms (long Covid) that continue or worsen after the initial stage of infection has passed.
Like Covid-19, influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory condition that can cause symptoms including fever, cough, body aches, sore throat and shortness of breath. Because Covid-19 and flu can create similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the two conditions apart. If you’re experiencing serious symptoms, contact your medical provider.
Otherwise, here’s how to tell Covid-19 and flu apart:
Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are Covid prescription medications for high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 symptoms. Both Covid treatments are antivirals that help slow or stop the virus from replicating. They include a course of pills taken at home over 5 days.
The treatments must be started within the first 5 days of symptoms—which can be difficult for those who can’t easily access in-person care. Fortunately, Dr. B’s accessible health platform makes seeing an online doctor for Covid treatment within this vital 5-day window accessible and affordable.
The federal government will wind down its distribution of Paxlovid and Molnupiravir in November and December 2023, transitioning the responsibility to the commercial market. But if you have a prescription, you can still get the oral treatment for free while the government’s supplies last. Here’s how to anticipate your out-of-pocket cost:
Medicare, Medicaid and those without insurance: Patients will continue to receive the Covid treatment for free until 2024 through a U.S. government Patient Assistance Program (PAP) managed by Pfizer. Specific details about participating sites are not currently available, but more information should come in the near future.
Indian Health Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Department of Defense: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has indicated they will still get Paxlovid through the government's purchased supplies.
Private Insurance: If you have private insurance, your out-of-pocket expense will depend on your insurance provider and individual pharmacy prices (determined by a pharmacy benefit manager). Contact your insurance provider or speak with your pharmacist about insured costs.
Additionally, Pfizer has launched a Copay Savings Program to help minimize the expense for insured patients. If eligible, you can download a card to share at your pharmacy. For updates and questions, contact the program at (877) 219-7225 (1-877-C19-PACK).
Merck & Co Patient Assistance Program for Molnupiravir (Lagevrio): The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has shared that Merck will soon provide a "Patient Assistance Program" to offer Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) at no cost to patients who can't afford it on their own. (More information should come by November 17, 2023.) Learn more at merckhelps.com or call (800) 727-5400 if you have any questions.
Dr. B Drug Discount Card: When you come to Dr. B for any treatment, we show you medication costs at local pharmacies so that you can choose the best option before your prescription gets sent out. Then, we email you a Dr. B Drug Discount Card to lock in that low cost. The same goes for Covid-19 prescription medications! Here’s more about how drug discount cards work.
You may be able to get Paxlovid online or Mulnopiravir online (after a Dr. B Covid online consultation) if you:
Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are both oral medications (Covid pills) that must be taken within 5 days of initial Covid-19 symptoms. Paxlovid contains two medications—Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir—which prevent the Covid-19 protein from replicating. Molnupiravir inserts itself directly into the Covid-19 virus' genetic material to stop it from replicating and growing.
For high-risk patients, Paxlovid can help decrease the risk of hospitalization or death by up to 89%. Molnupiravir is less effective. But it has fewer drug interactions, making it appropriate for patients who may not qualify for Paxlovid because of pre-existing conditions or medication conflicts.
No. Paxlovid and Molnupiravir should be taken only once within 90 days. If you experience a new or rebound infection—or if symptoms have not improved after treatment—follow up with an in-person provider.
In the early days of the pandemic, researchers noticed that some people experienced a return of symptoms 2-8 days after their initial recovery. This was assumed to be only related to Paxlovid use and was called “Paxlovid rebound.”
New studies show that it’s common to experience a brief return of symptoms whether or not you take Paxlovid. This suggests that rebound symptoms are a natural part of Covid-19. Paxlovid continues to be recommended as the most effective early-stage treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in high-risk patients.
The good news? If you’re at high risk for severe illness and have an active Covid-19 infection, you may be eligible to get a Paxlovid prescription online. Start a Dr. B Paxlovid online health assessment today.
Paxlovid contains Nirmatrelvir (2 pink pills) and Ritonavir (1 white pill). Patients take all 3 pills together 2 times a day (12 hours apart) for 5 days.
A dose of Molnupiravir contains 4 red-colored capsules. Patients take all 4 pills together 2 times a day (12 hours apart) for 5 days.
Even if symptoms improve within a few days, it’s crucial that you complete the entire prescribed amount of medication. Stopping treatment too soon may not entirely stop or slow the virus from replicating.
Paxlovid side effects are generally mild. They can include:
These common medications interact poorly with Paxlovid. Discuss alternative treatment options with your primary care doctor if you take:
Anti-coagulants: Apixaban (Eliquis), Dabigatran (Pradaxa), Edoxaban (Savaysa), Rivaroxaban (Xarelto), Ticagrelor (Brilinta), Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): Alfuzosin (Uroxatral), Doxazosin (Cardura), Silodosin (Rapaflo), Tamsulosin (Flomax), Terazosin (Hytrin)
Cardiac/Hypertension: Amiodarone (Cordarone, Nexterone, Pacerone), Amlodipine (Norvasc, Katerzia, Norliqva), Cilostazol (Pletal), Clopidogrel (Plavix), Digoxin (Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin), Diltiazem (Cardizem, Carter, Dilacor, Dilt-CD, Diltia, Matzim, Taztia, Tiadylt, Tiazac), Disopyramide (Norpace), Dofetilide (Tikosyn), Dronedarone (Multaq), Eplerenone (Inspra), Felodipine (Plendil), Flecainide (Tambocor), Ivabradine (Corlanor), Mexiletine, Nifedipine (Procardia, Adatta, Afeditab, Nifedica, Nifedical), Propafenone (Rythmol), Quinidine, Ranolazine (Ranexa, Aspurzyo), Sacubitril (Entresto), Valsartan (Diovan, Exforge), Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan, Tarka)
Diabetes: Glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase), Saxagliptin (Onglyza)
Immunosuppressants: Chemotherapeutic medications, Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral), Dexamethasone (Decadron, Hemady, TaperDex), Everolimus (Zortress, Afinitor), Fedratinib (Inrebic), Ruxolitinib (Jakafi), Sirolimus (Rapamune), Tacrolimus (Astagraf, Envarsus, Hecoria, Prograf), Tofacitinib (Xeljanz), Upadacitinib (Rinvoq), Voclosporin (Lupkynis)
Medications for infections: Brincidofovir (Tembexa), Clarithromycin (Biaxin), Cobicistat (Tybost), Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir (Mavyret), HIV medications, Isavuconazole, Itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox, Tolsura), Ketoconazole, Maraviroc (Selzentry),Posaconazole (Noxafil), Rifabutin (Mycobutin), Rifampin (Rifadin), Rifapentine (Priftin), Voriconazole (Vfend)
Migraine: Almotriptan (Axert), Ergot derivatives (bromocriptine, Parlodel), Dihydroergotamine (Migranal), Ergotamine (Cafergot), and Pergolide (Permax), Zolmitriptan (Zomig)
Miscellaneous: Colchicine (Colcrys, Gloperba, Mitigare), Darifenacin (Enablex), Elexacaftor/ Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (Trikafta), Eluxadoline (Viberzi), Finerenone (Kerendia), Ivacaftor (Kalydeco), Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor (Orkambi), Naloxegol (Movantik), Oxybutynin (Ditropan), Solifenacin (Vesicare), St. John’s wort, Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (Symdeko), Tolvaptan (Jynarque, Samsca)
Neuropsychiatric and Sleep: Alprazolam (Xanax, Niravam), Aripiprazole (Abilify), Brexpiprazole (Rexulti), Buspirone (BuSpar), Cariprazine (Vraylar), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Clobazam (Onfi, Sympazan), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Clorazepate (Tranxene), Clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo, Versacloz), Diazepam (Valium), Estazolam, Flurazepam (Dalmane), Haloperidol (Haldol), Iloperidone (Fanapt), Lumateperone (Caplyta), Lurasidone (Latuda), Midazolam (Versed, Seizalam), Mirtazapine (Remeron), Pimavanserin (Nuplazid), Pimozide (Orap), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone (Risperdal, Perseris), Trazodone (Desyrel, Oleptro), Ziprasidone (Geodon), Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist)
Pain or Dependence: Buprenorphine (Belbuca, Buprenex, Sulocade, Subutex), Fentanyl (Sublimaze), Hydrocodone (Norco, Vicodin, Hysingla, Zohydro), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo), Methadone (Diskettes, Dolphin, Methadose), Morphine (Arymoa, Avinza, Duramorph, Infumorph, Kadian, Mitigo, Morphabond, MS Contin, Oramorph, Roxanol), Oxycodone (OxyContin, OxyFast, Oxaydo, Oxecta, Roxicodone, Roxybond, Xtampza), Tramadol (Ultram, ConZip, Odolo, Rybix, Ryzolt)
Pulmonary Hypertension and/or Sexual Dysfunction: Bosentan (Tracleer), Flibanserin (Addyi), Riociguat (Adempas), Sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), Tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca, Alyq), Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)
Seizure: Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro), Phenobarbital (Sezaby), Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), Primidone (Mysoline)
Molnupiravir side effects are also generally mild. They can include:
Limited data has not identified any negative interactions between and other drugs. (Clinical studies have yet to be conducted.) But Molnupiravir does not have inhibitors or inducers of common drug-metabolizing enzymes, making interactions with other medications unlikely.
If you are already pregnant, plan to get pregnant or are breastfeeding, don’t take Molnupiravir. Use reliable forms of birth control while using this medication and for three months after treatment ends.
Right now, we don’t submit medical consultation claims to health insurance companies. But you can use insurance for any resulting prescriptions at your pharmacy.
Does Paxlovid need a prescription? Yes! Molnupiravir requires a prescription, too. But there's no need to trek to your doctor's office. If eligible, you can get an online Paxlovid prescription or Molnupiravir prescription through Dr. B’s virtual medical platform.
To get started, fill out an online health assessment. A licensed medical provider will review your health and medical history. If they recommend a prescription treatment, they will send it to your preferred pharmacy for pick-up.
Consultation: An online consultation costs $15, which is less than most doctor copays. Currently, we don’t submit medical consultation claims to insurance companies.
Medication: During the Covid-19 public health emergency, the U.S. government provided Covid-19 antiviral treatments for free at pharmacies nationwide. Now, these medications will remain free only while the federal government has them in supply. Afterward, your prescription cost will depend on whether or not you have insurance and where you fill your prescription.
Right now, Dr. B does not accept insurance or submit claims to insurance companies. But you can use insurance for any resulting prescription at your pharmacy.