Recently, various novel agents have become available in B.C. to treat COVID-19 in mild to moderately ill patients, including sotrovimab and Paxlovid. To be eligible for therapy, patients at higher risk of serious illness must first test positive for the virus. If a patient tests positive with a rapid antigen test, they are asked to report it through the provincial reporting form for provincial tracking purposes. They are then directed to the new provincial online assessment tool to determine if they would benefit from these therapies.
Those who are tested at a Vancouver Coastal Health operated testing site will be assessed and followed up directly if they are eligible for treatment by our newly-established central intake process which operates daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Physicians in Vancouver or Richmond who feel comfortable prescribing Paxlovid are free to do so using the tools below. However, if a patient is complex, eligibility is unclear, or if after assessment sotrovimab is the preferred therapy, a referral can be made through the central intake process by filling out this form and emailing it to: covid.therapy@vch.ca or faxing to 833-222-8131.
In the Coastal Community of Care, the same service can be accessed by contacting the COVID-19 physician on call at 778-984-4075 or emailing CoastalID@vch.ca.
Physicians practicing in the community, or outside of VCH can contact the provincial line (see details below).
Important clinical resources and tools
The province has developed a range of resources to support in the safe prescribing of these medications to British Columbians. Some of the most useful guides are listed below. For further information and available tools, visit the BCCDC website.
Broader availability and prescribing of Paxlovid
As of Mar. 1, all clinicians are authorized to prescribe Paxlovid to their patients who test positive and are eligible for treatment. For patients on additional medications, prescribers are obliged to review the above drug-drug interactions assessment before prescribing. This can be completed using the drug-drug interaction assessment tool above or by contacting the regional Central Intake Team (details above).
