Online delivery companies DoorDash and Uber will help Walgreens distribute Paxlovid, Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral drug, to those who have a prescription but cannot access it.
The news is in response to President Joe Biden's increased efforts to inoculate more Americans and promote the omicron-targeted booster, Walgreens said in an Oct. 25 news release.
"The initiative, which will launch on Walgreens.com and the Walgreens app in the coming weeks, will prioritize access to free delivery of Paxlovid for patients with a prescription who are in socially vulnerable or medically underserved communities," the statement said. It "will help ensure that transportation access is not a barrier to receiving treatment for COVID-19."
A GoodRx analysis published in June found that more than 26 million people live in Paxlovid "deserts."
Walgreens and Uber Health previously collaborated to create the $12 million "Vaccine Access Fund," which offered free rides for people to vaccination sites.