AAPS Seeks End to Arizona Prohibition on Chloroquine
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) has written Arizona governor Doug Ducey asking that he rescind a month-old moratorium forbidding prophylactic use of chloroquine (CQ) or hydroxychloroquine (HQ) during the Covid-19 pandemic unless peer-reviewed evidence becomes available. In the 4/27 letter, the association links to a summary of peer-reviewed evidence (https://bit.ly/cqhcqresearch) on use of the drugs against coronavirus. “We believe that there is clear and convincing evidence of benefit both pre-exposure and post-exposure,” the association says. “As of this date, the total number of reported patients treated with HQ, with or without azithromycin and zinc, is 2,333. Of these, 2,137 or 91.6% improved clinically.”
Most of the data summarized is related to the use hydroxychloroquine for treatment, but one study examined it as “prophylaxis with excellent results,” AAPS says. “Many nations, including Turkey and India, are protecting medical workers and contacts of infected persons prophylactically... Based on this evidence, we request that you rescind your Executive Orders impeding the use of CQ and HCQ and further order that administrative agencies not impose any requirements on the prescription of CQ, HCQ, azithromycin, or other drugs intended to treat or prevent coronavirus illness that do not apply equally to all approved medications that may be used off-label for any purpose.”
AAPS notes that it is legal to prescribe drugs for new indications not on the label, and that FDA recently advised that CQ and HCQ should be used for Covid-19 only in hospitalized patients in the setting of a clinical study if available (see earlier story). It adds that most states are making it difficult for physicians to prescribe or pharmacists to dispense these medications, presumably because there are product shortages and patients are having trouble getting the medicine for approved uses.
AAPS spokeswoman Jane Orient told FDA Webview 4/29 that “(a)ll but four states are putting pressure on doctors and/or pharmacists to restrict use of HCQ for Covid-19; Arizona’s strict prohibition of prophylactic use is the toughest one I know of.” On the national level, she said AAPS is trying to “get FDA to stop pressures to restrict HCQ to situations in which it has the least chance of benefit, i.e. in hospitalized patients. We would like patients to not need hospitalization.”