At first glance, Walgreens’ plan to partner with Uber and DoorDash to provide free delivery of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets; ritonavir tablets) for COVID-19 patients in underserved communities looks like a great plan that could be invaluable in warding off a winter surge. Look a bit deeper, though, and it’s unclear exactly how effective the plan will be. Most problematically, it presumes that those underserved communities have a Walgreens nearby and that the ride share and food delivery companies offer their services there—none of which is a given, considering that the communities in question became “underserved” due to being remote, lower income, or sparsely populated. The disconnect illustrates that, once again, it was a grave oversight for decision-makers not to emphasize the potential of urgent care in making COVID vaccination and Paxlovid widely available.
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Urgent Care Could Be the Answer to Shortfalls in the New Paxlovid Delivery Program