address disparities in treatment,” Boehmer adds.
Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez, senior vice president for Community and Population Health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y., says these disparities in care were what health professionals saw during the pandemic.
“The issue of equity and distribution of Paxlovid is similar to what we saw in the distribution of the vaccine,” she adds. “You have to think about access to primary care pharmacies, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities.”
Community hesitancy also plays a role, Salas-Lopez notes. “These are new vaccines, new treatments, so the familiarity isn’t there with all of our community members, but in particular, our community members who have experienced a lack of trust in the health care system.
“In addition, guidelines for testing and vaccines and medications for treatment can quickly change, making it difficult for providers and community members to stay abreast of all the changes — your head spins,” she says.
Structural racism may also play a role, Salas-Lopez adds.
One weakness of the study, she notes, is that the researchers didn’t account for prescriptions given directly at walk-in clinics and drug stores, which gave out thousands of doses of Paxlovid and might have altered the results.
Salas-Lopez says that it’s partly the responsibility of healthcare systems to end these disparities.
At her health care system, they created a health equity task force to identify the weak spots in health care in their community. They then began outreach programs to close these gaps.
“Health systems have to work hard to address the issue of inequity,” Salas-Lopez said. “It takes a mission and a vision to do that, and then action.”
How to protect yourself
“Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including updated boosters, is the best way to protect against severe illness and hospitalization,” she says. “If you become infected, contact your health care professional as soon as possible to find out if you are eligible for treatment.”