Doctors finding hurdles to using pills to treat COVID-19

By TOM MURPHY
AP Health Writer

COVID-19 patients now have new treatments they can take at home to stay out of the hospital — if doctors get the pills to them fast enough.

Health systems around the country are rushing out same-day prescription deliveries.

Some clinics also have started testing and treating patients in one visit.

The goal is to get patients started on either Pfizer’s tablets or Merck’s capsules within five days of symptoms appearing. But the tight deadline highlights challenges.

Some patients are delaying testing, thinking they just had a cold. Others have been unwilling or unable to try the new drugs.