The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has reversed a rule that prohibited the sale and dispensing of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine in the state after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) asked for the reversal.
“I agree with the statement from Dr. Steven Hahn, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, that the decision about prescribing hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 should be between a doctor and a patient,” DeWine said in a statement. “Therefore, I am asking the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to halt their new rule prohibiting the selling or dispensing of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.”
“The Board of Pharmacy and the State Medical Board of Ohio should revisit the issue, listen to the best medical science, and open the process up for comment and testimony from experts,” DeWine said.
“As a result of the feedback received by the medical and patient community and at the request of Governor DeWine, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has withdrawn proposed rule 4729:5-5-21 of the Administrative Code,” a release said. “Therefore, prohibitions on the prescribing of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in Ohio for the treatment of COVID-19 will not take effect at this time.”
A local CBS affiliate reported on how the drug has been at the center of controversy since President Donald Trump said hydroxychloroquine could be promising in treating the virus:
[Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine] have been prescribed to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The FDA revoked its emergency use authorization for the drugs to treat COVID-19 in June and in July posted a review of safety issues related to that use.
The FDA said there are reports of serious heart rhythm problems, blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries, and liver problems and failure.
But as Breitbart News reported, some physicians claim the public is being denied accurate information about treatment for the coronavirus, including those who held a summit and press conference in Washington, DC, earlier this week.
Breitbart News posted a video of the event, which was removed from social media platforms:
Facebook has removed a video posted by Breitbart News earlier today, which was the top-performing Facebook post in the world Monday afternoon, of a press conference in D.C. held by the group America’s Frontline Doctors and organized and sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots. The press conference featured Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and frontline doctors sharing their views and opinions on coronavirus and the medical response to the pandemic. YouTube (which is owned by Google) and Twitter subsequently removed footage of the press conference as well.
The event, hosted by the organization America’s Frontline Doctors, a group founded by Dr. Simone Gold, a board-certified physician and attorney, and made up of medical doctors, came together to address what the group calls a “massive disinformation campaign” about the coronavirus.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.