Q and A with the experts: COVID-19 home treatment approved

Professor Kelly Grindrod answers questions about Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid By Health Canada has approved Pfizer's Paxlovid as the first oral and at-home prescription medication to treat COVID-19 in Canada. Kelly Grindrod , a pharmacist and University of Waterloo professor, answers common questions about this new drug. Does Canada have any of this medication yet? Canada signed an agreement with Pfizer to secure one million treatment courses of Paxlovid. To date, Canada has received 30,400 treatment courses, with another 120,000 expected before the end of March. Ontario has received 11,000 doses which have been shipped across the province. How does Paxlovid work? Paxlovid is a combination of two drugs. The main ingredient is nirmatrelvir, which works by stopping the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID from replicating in the body.