Antiviral medication and health outcomes
COVID-19 oral antiviral medication is used to prevent severe COVID-19 in individuals who are at greater risk of severe outcomes (Department of Health and Aged Care 2022). Antivirals have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death among people diagnosed with COVID-19 including for vaccinated, older individuals diagnosed during the Omicron period (Van Heer et al. 2023).
COVID-19 antiviral treatments were made available for selected populations through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from March 2022 (PBS 2022a, 2022b).
Several factors determine eligibility for COVID-19 antiviral treatments (PBS 2024a, 2024b). At present, eligible individuals include individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and are:
- older Australians aged 70 and over
- older Australians aged 50 and over with two risk factors (such as people living in residential aged care, people with certain chronic health conditions, people living remotely with limited access to health care)
- First Nations people with one risk factor
- people aged 18 and over who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or had a history of previously being hospitalised for COVID-19.
The eligibility criteria for COVID-19 antiviral treatments have broadened over time and differ to that in the time period analysed in this report. For more details refer to the Technical notes.
This chapter focuses on people who:
- had a COVID-19 diagnosis between 16 February 2022 and 31 December 2022, and
- were prescribed COVID-19 antiviral treatments under the PBS within 3 days before their COVID-19 diagnosis and up to 14 days after their COVID-19 diagnosis.
For more information on the methodology used, see the Technical notes.
COVID-19 antiviral prescription
This section describes demographic patterns related to COVID-19 antiviral prescription among COVID-19 cases (defined as more than 90 days between two positive SARS-CoV-2 tests).
Key patterns were:
- Overall, 5% of COVID-19 cases were prescribed antiviral medication; most people were aged 70 and over (65%).
- 36% of cases aged 70 and over were prescribed antiviral medication.
- Queensland (3.2%) and the Northern Territory (2.0%) had the lowest prescription of COVID-19 antivirals.
- The percentage of cases prescribed antiviral medication declined with increasing remoteness (2.4% of cases in Remote and very remote areas compared to 5.0% in Major Cities). A separate study conducted by Grattan Institute on COVID-19 antivirals between March 2022 and September 2023 showed that people in remote areas were 37% less likely to get COVID-19 antivirals than people living in major cities (Grattan Institute 2024).
- 5.7% of cases in the highest socioeconomic group were prescribed antiviral medication, compared to 4.5% of cases in the lowest socioeconomic group.
Note, the above percentages are not age-standardised to account for differences in population age structures. See Data tables to access downloadable data containing COVID-19 antiviral prescriptions data.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024), Rural and remote health, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 3 April 2025.
Department of Health and Aged Care (2022) COVID-19 antivirals prevent severe illness and death, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 13 November 2024.
Grattan Institute 2024 COVID antivirals: a tale of inequity, Grattan Institute, accessed 7 April 2025.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) (2022a) Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) PBS listing, PBS, Australian Government, accessed 13 November 2024.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) (2022b) Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) PBS listing, PBS, Australian Government, accessed 13 November 2024.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) (2024a) Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Fact sheet – December 2024, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website, accessed 7 April 2025.
PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) (2024b) Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Fact sheet – December 2024, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website, accessed 7 April 2024.
Van Heer C, Majumdar SS, Parta I, Martinie M, Dawson R, West D, Hewett L, Lister D, Sutton B, O'Brien DP and Cowie BC (2023) ‘Effectiveness of community-based oral antiviral treatments against severe COVID-19 outcomes in people 70 years and over in Victoria, Australia, 2022: an observational study’, The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, 41:100917, accessed 13 November 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100917.