The mission of GoodRx Health is to be a next-generation online health resource where experts provide authoritative answers to crucial health questions. We know that finding reliable health information is already challenging, and misinformation, especially regarding COVID-19 cures and treatments, has spread like wildfire in the last two years.
When the FDA authorized two COVID-19 antiviral pills for emergency use last December, there was a dearth of information on eligibility, availability, risks, and more. The objective of this project was to provide a one-stop shop for information surrounding these medications. We wanted visitors searching for information on COVID-19 antivirals to have a resource that would answer all of their questions about Molnupiravir and Paxlovid– from differences between them to side effects, costs, and availability.
We wanted to present the potentially life-saving information about COVID-19 antiviral pills and their availability in a format that would be easy to understand and navigate, while still being medically accurate and up-to-date.
When COVID-19 vaccines first became available to the general public in March 2021, information on availability and location was hard to come by. Therefore our research and data team used the available information on pharmacy allocations to create a Vaccine Finder Tool that helped people find vaccine locations, schedule appointments, and more. We wanted to create a similar, helpful resource for people looking for COVID-19 antiviral pills.
The main obstacle we noticed was that the information on where to find COVID-19 antiviral pills was not easily available or digestible to the public. Additionally, medical information on how to take the antiviral pills and who could take them was scarce and confusing. We took the publicly available data posted by HealthData.gov and transformed it into a much more consumer-friendly and engaging experience. We created an interactive that prioritized a straightforward user interface with options on how to view the data (via map or directory). We then published the data visualization, updated daily, on our live-update article format to show readers the most accurate and up-to-date information.
In addition to the interactive map, we created an infographic that highlighted the top 10 key takeaways on antiviral pills. Our main strategy was not to reinvent the wheel, but to take overly complicated data and craft it into an accessible and actionable resource.
The tracker became a one-stop shop for finding and taking COVID-19 antiviral pills. It continues to be updated as often as new data, information, and news come out on pill availability.
Our objective was to create a resource to help Americans understand the uses, benefits, and costs of COVID-19 antiviral pills Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, and then find availability near them. Since access to these antiviral pills is a huge barrier for treatment, our interactive graphic was able to display the information in a digestible format.
It was also picked up by major national news outlets, including NBC News and Axios.
