Nevada Gov Steve Sisolak bans chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID
Just as the FDA granted emergency approval for the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients suffering from the Chinese Coronavirus, Nevada’s Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s (D.) moved to restrict the use of the drugs on Sunday to contrast the praise the drug’s success by President Trump, citing feedback from countries overseas.
Sisolak expressed skepticism about whether the drugs are effective after input from the state pharmaceutical board. The order says the drugs have not yet been demonstrated as a safe or effective treatment course for the deadly disease and could create a shortage for patients who use the drugs to treat other illnesses.
“The Nevada State Board of Pharmacy has determined that an emergency exists due to the hoarding and stockpiling of chloroquine and hydroxychloriquine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting shortage of supplies of these drugs for legitimate medical purposes,” the order says.
Board general counsel Brett Kandt, which recommended the ban to the governor, told the Free Beacon the regulation can be “repealed to the extent this is deemed necessary” if the drugs show further promise.
The backpeddling came quickly as criticism was swift.
Sisolak, who did not return request for comment, has attempted to alleviate concerns about the new order hampering the response to the deadly virus. On Wednesday he said the order does allow doctors in hospitals and emergency rooms to prescribe the drugs to infected patients.
“This regulation DOES NOT prohibit prescription of these drugs for inpatient treatment,” Sisolak said on Twitter. “In other words, if a doctor in a hospital or emergency room setting wants to prescribe these drugs to treat a patient diagnosed with COVID-19, he or she is still free to do so.”
Now the Food and Drug Administration has approved as a potential coronavirus treatment on Sunday.
Two hospital physicians told the Washington Free Beacon such a restriction could overwhelm health care facilities and limit the ability of doctors to treat patients. If residents discover they can only access potentially life-saving medicines in emergency rooms, already crowded hospitals could be pushed to the brink, according to Dr. Brian Callister, governor of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
“We’re very concerned that while we’re trying to keep patients home, a ban like this is going to drive patients to seek care in ERs and overwhelm the system,” Callister said. “We are being asked to ignore our clinical judgment.”
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
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