Medications that reduce the severity of COVID-19 are now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Oral anti-viral medications, Paxlovid and Lagevrio, can now be prescribed by doctors or authorised nurse practitioners to people living with any type of diabetes who use medication to manage their condition and have another condition. Other conditions include heart or kidney disease or obesity.

People living in residential aged care and all people aged 70 and over are also eligible even if they have no risk factors.

The medications can be prescribed for:

• People 50 years of age or older, with two additional risk factors for developing severe COVID-19
• People 30 years of age or older identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with two additional risk factors for developing severe disease
• People 18 years of age or older, who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

The medicines must be started as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19. If you have developed COVID-19 please speak to your health team about accessing these medicines immediately.

It is important to note anti-viral medicines are not intended to be used as substitutes for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Diabetes Australia continues to recommend people get vaccinated and boosted in line with the latest advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.