Kroger Health Offers COVID-19 Antivirals for Eligible Patients

Retailer’s health and pharmacy arm also provides telehealth appointments for access to therapeutics following diagnosis

4/29/2022

Kroger Health is working to reduce barriers to COVID-19 treatment options by offering telehealth appointments and access to antiviral medicines.

As the COVID-19 situation enters its next phase, treatment efforts are evolving as well. The health division of The Kroger Co., for its part, is offering antiviral prescriptions for those who test positive and are clinically eligible.

Kroger Health announced the availability of antiviral medicines at 225 The Little Clinic locations in Arizona, Colorado, George, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Virginia. The company noted that the use of antivirals aligns with the federal government’s “Test to Treat” initiative for patients who exhibit symptoms of a COVID-19 infection.

Before any therapeutics are prescribed, consumers must have proof of a positive result from any of 13 FDA-authorized at-home tests and participate in an observed self-test with a medical professional. Once a COVID diagnosis is confirmed, the clinic will provide an antiviral prescription. Those who test negative but who are still showing signs of illness will be provided an appropriate treatment plan according to their diagnosis.

Kroger Health is also offering telehealth appointments, available at https://kroger.com/health/pharmacy/covid-19-treatment. Before that appointment, patients must get an approved home test for the observation portion of the telehealth visit.

"We understand Americans are tired of this virus and its impact on our lives. We are all eager to move forward. However, we owe it to our families, friends, and communities to get tested if symptomatic and seek treatment when appropriate,” remarked Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger's chief medical officer. “As always, receiving the manufacturer-recommended doses required for full vaccination and booster doses recommended by age and condition remain our most effective tools in controlling the spread of the disease."

In figures released on April 28, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that the BA.2 lineage of the Omicron variant has become dominant, comprising 68.1% of current cases. To date, more than 990,208 Americans have died of or with COVID-19.

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states. Serving 60 million households annually nationwide through a digital shopping experience, and almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.