Outpatient COVID-19 treatments for long-term care facilities

This resource is for long-term care facilities considering therapeutic treatments for residents with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

What are COVID-19 treatments?

COVID-19 treatments are antiviral medications that can help prevent severe illness for people who get infected with COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized or approved several treatments for certain patients with COVID-19. To learn more about different types of COVID-19 treatment, visit our COVID-19 medicine and information about outpatient COVID-19 therapeutics for health care providers pages.

Who can receive outpatient COVID-19 treatments?

Outpatient treatment is for people with a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. It is important to test early for COVID-19, as these medications must be given within a few days of when symptoms begin. There may be different treatments available for people who are currently hospitalized for COVID-19. To learn more about eligibility for treatment, visit CDPHE's information about outpatient COVID-19 therapeutics for health care providers page.

What should a facility do when a resident has a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19?

Early testing and evaluation by a health care provider for treatment is important because these medications must be given within a few days of when symptoms begin.

If a resident tests positive for COVID-19 or has a current diagnosis of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, contact the resident’s health care provider and/or your facility medical director and ask about treatment as soon as you can. If the resident is eligible, they will need a prescription (or order) from a health care provider or a Test to Treat center. This may include telehealth and home delivery options (possibly at an additional cost).

Long-term care facilities have the option to become Test to Treat sites. For additional information about the Test to Treat program, visit ASPR's main Test to Treat page or Test to Treat FAQ.

Where can a facility get COVID-19 treatment for a resident?

Contact your long-term care pharmacy, a local pharmacy typically used for resident medications, and/or review the list of locations with inventory on CDPHE’s COVID-19 treatments for providers webpage.

You can find Test to Treat centers on the ASPR Test to Treat Locator. This locator includes telehealth and home delivery options.

Make a plan now with the resident’s health care team so you’ll be ready to access treatment options if they test positive for COVID-19. Keep up-to-date medication lists and ask their health care team if there are any drug interactions or necessary modifications with COVID-19 therapeutics. Find the closest pharmacy to the resident carrying COVID-19 therapeutics so you can easily provide this information to the prescribing provider. ASPR’s COVID-19 Treatments: Information for Long‑Term Care Facilities webpage has information on availability and use of COVID-19 treatments for outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

To prevent delayed treatment, discuss therapeutic treatments with your residents and residents’ decision makers now. For example, some residents may need a plan for stopping or modifying their current medications if they are recommended to take Paxlovid. Working with their health care providers ahead of time to determine the best course of action is helpful, especially if someone gets sick on a weekend or over the holidays. This conversation can be used to obtain consent for treatment in case a resident tests positive for COVID-19.

How can my skilled nursing facility or long-term care pharmacy enroll to become a COVID-19 treatment provider?

Providers who are interested in ordering COVID-19 therapeutics or have questions about the COVID-19 therapeutics program should email cdphe_dcphr_covidtherapeutics@state.co.us. Once enrolled, there are utilization reporting requirements at the state and federal levels. Providers can order any time through the Health Order Partner Portal (HPOP) and CDPHE will fill the order within 24 hours. Veklury (remdesivir) must be ordered directly from the manufacturer. Find out more information about how to order Veklury (remdesivir).

Facilities which aren’t enrolled as COVID-19 treatment providers can still prescribe treatments for their residents and have the prescriptions filled at a pharmacy.

Long-term care facilities have the option to become Test to Treat sites.