Where Can I Get Tested and Treated for COVID-19?

Find Test to Treat locations in your area: 

The Biden administration launched the Test to Treat initiative in early March to curb the spread of COVID-19 through quick access to COVID-19 antiviral medications. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designed the program to dismantle barriers to COVID-19 treatment and reduce severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. 

Providers who are part of the Test to Treat program can prescribe COVID-19 antiviral pills on the spot to people who test positive. So patients are able to test, receive their prescription, and fill it all at the same time and at the same location. 

GoodRx is tracking all available Test to Treat locations using HHS data. We are also tracking the availability of COVID-19 antiviral medications at those locations. Watch this space for regular updates. 

Where can I find Test to Treat locations? 

Pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, and long-term care facilities are all participating in the Test to Treat program. In order to participate, pharmacies must have clinics with healthcare providers on-site. Providers at these locations will now offer both COVID-19 tests and COVID-19 antiviral medication for people who test positive.

Unfortunately, Test to Treat providers aren’t available in all areas of the country. However, HHS has announced a plan to expand the program to additional locations. States are encouraged to notify HHS of potential providers in their jurisdiction that could be Test to Treat sites. 

Below, search your zip code, city, or state to find Test to Treat locations and see the availability of COVID-19 antiviral pills at those locations. 

When should I get tested for COVID-19? 

Get tested for COVID-19 as quickly as possible if you begin to feel symptoms. If you know you’ve been exposed to the virus, but you don’t have symptoms, you should still get tested. It’s possible to be asymptomatic but pass the virus on to others. To avoid a false negative, the CDC recommends testing at least 5 days after exposure to the virus. 

The CDC also recommends testing before and after traveling or attending group events. All states have lifted mask requirements in indoor spaces, and masks are no longer federally mandated for air travel and other forms of public transportation. As these precautions start to recede, frequent testing is an important way to stay ahead of the virus. 

If you test positive for COVID-19 after visiting a Test to Treat location, you may be able to receive an oral antiviral medication to help lessen your symptoms. 

Can I get COVID-19 antiviral pills? 

Paxlovid and Lagevrio are two COVID-19 antiviral pills that have FDA emergency use authorization for people who are at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. People who may qualify for Paxlovid include elderly adults, people who lack access to healthcare, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. 

People with the following medical conditions are also at a higher risk: 

• Cancer 

• Chronic kidney disease 

• Chronic lung disease 

• Cystic fibrosis 

• Dementia or other neurological conditions 

• Diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2) 

• Disabilities 

• Heart conditions 

• HIV infection 

• Immunocompromised state 

• Mental health conditions 

• Overweight and obesity  

• Physically inactive

• Pregnancy 

• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia

• Smoking, current or former

• Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease

• Substance use disorders

• Tuberculosis

So if you test positive at a Test to Treat location and are at a higher risk of illness from COVID-19, your provider can prescribe you an antiviral treatment that you can pick up on the spot. 

Since the FDA has authorized Paxlovid and Lagevrio for emergency use, they can only be prescribed by physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, or physician associates who are licensed or authorized to prescribe under state law. 

The National Community Pharmacists Association and the American Pharmacists Association have both argued that pharmacists should be able to prescribe COVID-19 antiviral pills to make them more widely accessible. However, the American Medical Association has emphasized the importance of consulting a physician as part of COVID-19 treatment. 

For now, pharmacies without on-site clinics are unable to participate in the Test to Treat programs — limiting its scope. 

How do COVID-19 antiviral pills work? 

In December 2021, the FDA issued emergency use authorization for two different antiviral pills, Paxlovid and Lagevrio, to treat COVID-19. They work by interfering with the SARS-CoV-2 protein and stopping the virus from replicating. Neither of these pills are authorized to prevent COVID-19, and they are not a substitute for vaccination. But if you test positive for COVID-19, antiviral pills can help reduce your risk of illness and hospitalization. 

Both Paxlovid and Lagevrio are pills that can be taken orally. Prior to their authorization, the only COVID-19 treatment available was administered through an IV. Paxlovid and Lagevrio have to be taken within 5 days of symptom onset. The narrow time window for these medications makes the Test to Treat program’s efficiency all the more important. 

Paxlovid, the first antiviral pill to be approved for emergency use authorization, reduced the risk of COVID-19 related hospitalization or death by 88% in clinical trials. Lagevrio, approved shortly after, is recommended only when other FDA-approved COVID-19 treatments are not available. Lagevrio reduced the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 30% in clinical trials.  

These antiviral treatments can be life saving for people with a high risk of illness from COVID-19. Encouraging easy and rapid access to antiviral treatment through the Test to Treat program is one way to lessen COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. 

Will I be able to afford COVID-19 treatment? 

Both Paxlovid and Lagevrio are free to all patients — regardless of insurance status. However, it is unclear how long these antiviral pills will be of no cost. The federal government purchased Paxlovid from Pfizer for $530 per treatment course and Lagevrio from Merck for $700 a treatment. 

Summing it all up

The Test to Treat initiative helps people get tested and immediately treated for COVID-19 if they have the virus. Many areas of the country lack access to any Test to Treat location, and not all locations have antiviral pills available. But this program can quickly provide COVID-19 treatment to people who need it. 

Authorizing testing and treatment in one sitting at pharmacies, health centers, and long-term care facilities will hopefully help more people access treatment and stay healthy. 

Co-contributors: Jeroen van Meijgaard, PhD, Tori Marsh, MPH  

Methodology

Data from Test to Treat locations were combined with information from the COVID-19 Therapy Locator, using provider location name, and geocoded location. Only the most recent availability data for Paxlovid and Lagevrio (molunpiravir) were included.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Anna Wells

Anna researches and writes data-driven reports on health trends, health policy, and health equity. She also tracks and analyses legislation, hearings, and policy developments in the healthcare space, and communicates research findings to policy stakeholders in D.C.

Edited by:

Tori Marsh, MPH

Tori Marsh is GoodRx’s resident expert on prescription drug pricing, prescribing trends, and drug savings. She oversees the GoodRx drug database, ensuring that all drug information is accurate and up to date.

Analysis by:

Jeroen van Meijgaard, PhD

Dr. van Meijgaard is a health economist with over 20 years of experience in healthcare informatics and has a knack for distilling meaningful insights from data. With extensive expertise in population research and the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, Dr. van Meijgaard has published in leading academic journals.

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