Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what contractual arrangements they have, if any, with pharmaceutical companies that prevent the sale of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 by private clinicians.

The pharmaceutical companies producing antivirals have not made these treatments commercially available to the private health care sector in the United Kingdom. These products have been procured by the Department and are only available through the National Health Service.

The Department has agreed contracts with MSD and Pfizer to ensure that the UK has sufficient antiviral medication to treat those who are likely to benefit. There is no legislation which sets out the patient cohorts to receive antiviral treatments for COVID-19. Clinically eligible cohorts have been determined by an independent expert group commissioned by the Department and included in a clinical policy agreed by the UK Chief Medical Officers.