Telehealth Therapeutics – A First in the State

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

In Los Angeles County (LAC), the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to almost 34,000 deaths, with vulnerable populations disproportionately harmed. In April 2022, LAC DPH launched the Telehealth Therapeutics Program, the first public health-sponsored telehealth service for COVID-19 therapeutics in the state of California, to ensure equitable access for all COVID-19-positive individuals. Patients who want treatment for their COVID-19 infection can contact the DPH Call Center. Persons testing positive with symptoms for no more than 5 days or were symptomatic and a close contact are referred to our Telehealth Therapeutics team where they can speak to a nurse and prescribing provider who will further assess eligibility for COVID-19 medication. If eligible, medications are delivered to the patient’s home overnight or the team will send a same day prescription to a pharmacy near the patient’s home. To date, 6,835 patients have been screened by Therapeutics Nurses, and 6,333 patients have been evaluated by Providers for COVID-19 treatment. 42.74 percent of patients evaluated identified as Latino, 1.55 percent as South Asian, 9.36 percent identified as East Asian, and 5.59 percent as African American. The telehealth therapeutic effort has helped narrow enormous equity gaps, so our most vulnerable residents have less morbidity and mortality.