COVID-19 Treatment Part 1
Prescription COVID-19 Medication
Prescription medication is available for Minnesotans who test positive for COVID-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick because of older age or underlying health conditions.
These medications, also called treatments, can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. If you are at high risk and test positive, it is important to get medication right away to prevent serious illness.
This page will tell you more about available medical options and how to get treatment.
Some of Minnesota’s community testing sites are now test-to-treat sites offering COVID-19 pills to patients. There, you can take a COVID-19 test and, if positive, be assessed by a provider on-site. If you are eligible for treatment, you can receive a prescription for pills at the same time.
COVID-19 pills:
What are they? Two prescription pills are available to treat Minnesotans at the highest risk for severe illness – Paxlovid (ages 12 and older) and molnupiravir (ages 18 and older). These antiviral medications target specific parts of the virus and can help reduce its multiplication and spread in your body.
These pills have been authorized for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for severe disease. A list of factors that could put you at high risk is available at CDC: People with Certain Medical Conditions.
The treatment is most effective when taken within five days of symptoms starting, so it's important to contact a health care provider if you have symptoms and test positive for COVID-19.
How do I get them? COVID-19 pills are available by prescription only. A health care provider can determine whether COVID-19 pills are right for you by carefully reviewing your symptoms, test results, medical history, and current medications. COVID-19 pills are not right for everyone, so it is important to provide full details of your medical history, particularly your current medications, to your provider.
Through your doctor: If you have a health care provider and you test positive for COVID-19, you can contact them to determine if COVID-19 pills are right for you, and to receive a prescription. Many providers can provide testing or can look at the results of a test performed elsewhere, such as a home test. If you are eligible for treatment, your provider can send a prescription to a pharmacy. Many pharmacies around Minnesota have COVID-19 pills in stock and can fill your prescription. A list of health care providers, clinics, and pharmacies is available at Where to Access Oral Antiviral Therapy in Minnesota.
Test to Treat: Another way to access COVID-19 pills, especially if you do not have a health care provider, is by visiting pharmacies or health care providers participating in the nationwide Test to Treat program. There, you can take a COVID-19 test and, if positive, be assessed by a provider on-site. If you are eligible for treatment, you can receive and fill a prescription for pills at the same time.
The federal government has a Test to Treat locator to help find participating sites. Some of these sites require appointments.
One-stop Test to Treat sites are available at many locations across Minnesota, including pharmacies and federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs). Some of Minnesota’s community testing sites are now test-to-treat sites offering COVID-19 pills to patients. Find a location near you at COVID-19 Community Testing sites.
People can continue to be tested and treated by their own health care providers who can appropriately prescribe these antiviral pills at locations where the medicines are distributed.