New and Emerging

Updated guidance on treating those with mild to moderate COVID-19 is now available from Ontario Health.

Antiviral therapy (Paxlovid/Remdesivir) is recommended for those:

• Age 65 years and older
• Immunocompromised status (18+).

Antiviral therapy may be considered for:

• Those who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine
• Certain medical conditions. See page 8 for a list of medical conditions.

Paxlovid is no longer publicly funded for those who do not qualify for the Ontario Drug Benefit program. Usual process applies for those with private insurance/pay out of pocket.

Paxlovid is now listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary with Limited Use (LU) criteria for eligible adults with a positive COVID-19 test and symptoms within the past five days who are:

• 65 years and older, regardless of risk factors or number of vaccine doses (LU 673)
• Immunocompromised, regardless of age or number of vaccine doses (LU 674)
• Have one or more risk factors for severe COVID-19 (LU 675). See page 8: list of medical conditions.

Paxlovid is available through community pharmacies. If a pharmacy doesn’t have it, they should be able to source it from another pharmacy.

Remdesivir continues to be available at no cost for those who cannot take Paxlovid due to a drug interaction/contraindication.

• Refer patients to Home and Community Care Support Services. The required referral forms are available here.

Spring COVID-19 vaccines are available in June for high-risk patients identified by the Ministry of Health. See page 5.

Mpox vaccine can now be given at the same time as mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. NACI guidance is available here.

• The full list of who is eligible for the vaccine is available through Ontario Health. See “Vaccination”.

Ticks are on the rise. See Public Health Ontario’s map of Ontario Blacklegged Tick Established Risk Areas to help with decisions to pursue testing, prophylaxis and/or treatment.

Ontario Health notes an uptick in cases of meningococcal disease from Saudi Arabia.

• Reminder to recommend patients be vaccinated with a quadrivalent (ACYW) meningococcal vaccine before travelling.

Government funded physiotherapy services no longer require a primary care referral. Ministry of Health memo is available here.

New search toolkits for various EMRs to identify patients in need of a measles vaccination are available. The eHealth Centre of Excellence has more information.

At our May 17, Community of Practice, Dr. Daniel Pepe shared how his clinic manages patient flow by triaging patients in an efficient and patient-centred manner. Additionally, Dr. Ali Damji shared his experience with an AI scribe, which saves him about 7 hours each week.

A practical guide for family physicians and primary care teams to implement sustainable healthcare for serious illness and end of life care is being shared by PEACH.

Additional opportunities from OCFP stakeholders and partners can be viewed here.