COVID-19 Early Treatment Clinic

Eastern Health COVID Early Treatment Clinic offers new medication shown to reduce disease severity and hospitalisation rates when administered in the early stages of COVID-19 (in the first five days of symptoms).

The clinic has two models of care:

Oral antiviral medications. Depending on which medication the patient will be receiving; the patient may receive a delivery of medication to their own home or a script would be provided to their local pharmacy.
Intravenous medication. The patient would need to present to the demountable marquee outside Maroondah Hospital Emergency Department. Transport can be arranged for patients who are unable to organise their own transport.

What COVID early treatments are currently available at Eastern Health?

Who is eligible for COVID Early Treatment?

The Victorian Department of Health provides Eastern Health with advice on who is eligible for COVID early treatments. This advice is dependent on multiple factors and can change rapidly. The Eastern Health COVID Early Treatment Clinic team endeavours to keep this webpage up to date, but please be mindful that at times there can be a few days delay following a new update to the guidelines. Please view COVID Early Treatment Clinic – Information for GPs (DOC, 89KB) for the most recent guidelines

Which medication will be offered?

Referral Process

Please be aware that the team can receive a large amount of referrals which they are working through. They will endeavour to provide treatment to your patient but at times some patients will be prioritised over others depending on their risk factors for severe COVID disease as per the advice of the Victorian Department of Health. GPs and Specialists who have a patient who may be eligible for COVID early treatment (as per the eligibility criteria above), please email the HITH COVID Early Treatment Clinic referral form to covidearlytreatmentclinic@easternhealth.org.au. Please do not start patients on Molnupiravir prior to referring to COVID Early Treatment Clinic. For urgent referrals (day 4 or greater of symptoms) please call the COVID early treatment clinic medical lead on 0402 262 640. We request that you do not ask patients to call the HITH COVID unit directly.

COVID-19 Early Treatment Referral (PDF, 124KB)