This is a copy of The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s 19 May 2022 alert for its members. The alert is available on The Guild’s website (requires login).
The Guild has been working to support members to stock registered oral COVID-19 treatments and to advertise the availability for supply on prescription only.
Sale and Return
We understand that patients are increasingly looking to access oral COVID-19 treatments from community pharmacy so encourage members to stock oral COVID-19 treatments and make use of the sale and return arrangements in place if stock expires prior to dispensing. The details are:
PAXLOVID®
The Department of Health has advised that sale and return arrangements are in place with wholesalers. The expectation is that these will be passed on to pharmacies. We have confirmation from the majority of wholesalers that arrangements for pharmacies are in place. Please contact your wholesaler for details.
LAGEVRIO®
The sale and return offer has been extended to the 31st August 2022.
The letter from MSD detailing the extension to offer here.
- Purchase LAGEVRIO by the 31 August 2022 to receive the ‘sale or return’ offer from preferred wholesaler
- ‘sale or return’ offer is only valid for the “return” of one pack of LAGEVRIO when stock expires at the end of January 2023
Further information can be found on the PBS Legevrio factsheet
Pharmacy Advertising of Oral COVID-19 Treatments and Influenza Vaccines
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued two advertising permissions to enable pharmacies to lawfully advertise oral COVID-19 treatments and influenza vaccines and to consumers. Any advertisements developed under these permissions must comply with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code.
Therapeutic Goods (Restricted Representations – COVID-19 Oral Treatments) Permission 2022
The Therapeutic Goods (Restricted Representations – COVID-19 Oral Treatments) Permission 2022 enables pharmacies to advertise the availability of registered oral COVID-19 treatments, for supply on prescription only, from their pharmacy provided the advertisement:
- Specifies either the trade name and/or the generic name of the medicine; and
- Does not contain any other information that does not relate to the availability of the oral COVID-19 treatments.
The permission only applies to registered oral COVID-19 treatments that contain substances included in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard and have an indication that relates to the treatment of COVID-19 that has been accepted in relation to inclusion in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). Currently, Lagevrio® (molnupirivir) and Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) are the only registered oral COVID-19 treatments on the ARTG.
Therapeutic Goods (Restricted Representations – Influenza Vaccines) Permission 2022
Prior to this permission, pharmacies were only allowed to advertise influenza vaccines (not vaccine services) using advertising that was, or formed part of, a government health campaign. The Therapeutic Goods (Restricted Representation – Influenza Vaccines) Permission 2022 enables pharmacies, as approved vaccination providers, to use self-developed material to advertise the availability of influenza vaccines and promote their use and supply.
Advertising developed in accordance with the 2022 permission can reference registered influenza vaccines as the therapeutic goods but must not:
- Be inconsistent with Commonwealth, State or Territory health messaging in relation to influenza vaccines; or
- Contain any reference to trade names of the therapeutic goods; or
- Contain any statement to the effect that the therapeutic goods are safe, cannot cause harm or have no side effects; or
- Contain any statement regarding the therapeutic goods that is false or misleading.
Findapharmacy.com.au
We are working to update findapharmacy.com.au to assist patients and prescribers to find pharmacies that stock Paxlovid® and/or Lageviro®
If you are stocking Paxlovid® or Lageviro® and wish to publish this service on the Find a Pharmacy website, update these details via your MyGuild Portal at www.guild.org.au
This is available for all pharmacies, not just Guild Members.
- Updating Pharmacy Services Instruction Guide
- Updating Pharmacy Services Instruction Video
You have the ability to select Publish Yes or No and can update this if you no longer have stock available or cease participating in the program. Note changes are not real time and may take up to 12 hours to take effect.
COVID-19 Treatment Resources
For resources about COVID-19 treatments click here
Disclaimer: This article was provided by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.
