COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibodies Update

COVID-19
 
Published:January 19, 2021
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has announced that over 691,969 patient courses of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been allocated to over 4,097 sites across the country. This includes those engaged by the Special Projects for Equitable and Efficient Distribution (SPEED) to Priority Populations, which includes long term care (LTC) facilities.   

Project SPEED was developed to facilitate getting the mAb into non-hospital/non-hospital affiliated facilities that serve priority populations. Through SPEED, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) and AMDA (the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine) partnered to develop a readiness document for LTC facilities and pharmacies. If your center is interested in providing mAb to the residents it serves, you should check with your local pharmacy provider to see if they are able to provide this treatment.   

In addition, the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) has provided a PDF listing of home infusion providers who are engaged in the pilot program to offer mAb to non-hospital facilities. Administration of mAb can best be facilitated through the utilization of large gathering rooms, such as a chapel or activity center, where multiple administration stations can be set up. Administration of the mAb is over the course of one-hour infusion, and there is an additional hour post-administration for monitoring and evaluation. A large room can accommodate multiple residents being infused at one time, which limits the number of staff who must be present to administer and observe the patients during and post-infusion.    

For more information on SPEED or to find out how to participate in the SPEED program, contact ASPRStakeholder@hhs.gov.