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Since Sunday evening most Czech doctors are not allowed to prescribe the drug Plaquenil so that there is enough for patients with the coronavirus.
It is assumed that this preparation could be effective against Covid-19, the Ministry of Health ordered.
The medicinal product Plaquenil could work against the coronavirus, which is why most Czech doctors have not been allowed to prescribe it since Sunday evening.
Only doctors specialized in allergology, clinical immunology, infectious medicine or pediatric or adult dermatovenerology and rheumatology are exempt. However, they are limited to two packages at a time per patient. The Ministry of Health informed about the new order in a press release.
„Given the fact that according to available scientific findings the medicinal product Plaquenil appears to be potentially effective for the treatment of COVID-19, it is necessary to prevent its unavailability both for the treatment of patients in registered indications and for patients with COVID-19,“ the minister said.
The drug was already being discussed on television in the afternoon, but out of fear that it would soon be sold out in pharmacies, they did not state its name.
Beware of reckless use. Pharmacies may only dispense Plaquenil on a medical prescription that includes the patient’s diagnosis and the physician’s specialty.
The active substance of the drug is hydroxychloroquine, and scientists have already in the past pointed to the possible use of chloroquine to help patients with Covid-19.
However, the State Institute for Drug Control warned against its reckless use; its effect on the coronavirus is not confirmed.
„We warn against the reckless use of chloroquine. Its use may result in serious adverse effects up to toxicity. It has not been proven that chloroquine prevents coronavirus. We share the position of the World Health Organization (WHO). Chloroquine is not a verified treatment for COVID-19 infection,“
