Jacksonville pharmacy begins administering Regeneron treatment to COVID-19 patients

There are now more places to get antibody treatment for COVID-19 in Jacksonville.

Starting Tuesday, patients will be able to receive the Regeneron treatment at Medtown Pharmacy on Beach Boulevard.

As patients suffering from COVID-19 continue to fill hospital beds across the country, some local pharmacies like Medtown are doing their part to alleviate the pressure on health care staff and hospitals.

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“We wanted to make sure that we were part of the solution, so we reached out to different distributors to make sure we can get our hands on Regeneron,” Chen Oeur, the owner and pharmacist of Medtown Pharmacy, said.

Oeur said under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. only a licensed or qualified pharmacist can give the shots.

Medtown Pharmacy will be able to take three patients at time.

Once you sign up, you will enter a secluded room to safely start your Regeneron treatment.

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Oeur said the monoclonal antibody treatment isn’t always a fast process and depending on how it is administered, it could take two or more hours.

“The first hour is 4 different doses (given at the same time) and the last hour is we kind of sit there with the patient and make sure there’s no side effect. There’s no adverse effect,” he said.

Action News Jax showed you a picture of a 39-year-old that went viral lying on the floor of the downtown library waiting to get Regeneron.

The mother of two said it saved her life and while it is effective, it’s not a going to offer long-term immunity like a vaccine can.

Oeur still recommends getting the vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Once you test positive with COVID-19 you have to get treatment, and this is the solution. The Regeneron is the solution and people need to understand that this is not a vaccine, this is a treatment,” he said.

Medtown Pharmacy currently offers the Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

You don’t need a doctor’s note and you can reserve your spot to use Regeneron by giving the pharmacy a call.

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