Doctors banned from prescribing potential COVID-19 drug
The new restrictions were introduced after some doctors began prescribing the drug to themselves and their families in February, following early research that suggested the drug might minimise the impact of the disease and help patients recover faster.
Worldwide shortages were caused after US President Donald Trump tweeted about the drug’s potential last month.
Mr Trump spiked the drug again at the weekend and urged Americans to take it despite a lack of strong evidence the medication is safe to use in COVID-19 patients.
The new law, introduced under public health powers granted to the state's top doctor, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young, is also aimed at stopping pharmacies and GP clinics from stockpiling the medication.
Under the public health order, only some specialists are allowed to prescribe the drug and it must be for the ongoing treatment of a chronic disease or as part of a clinical trial.
The University of Queensland is on the verge of starting a large clinical trial, involving 60 hospitals across Australia, with hydroxychloroquine and another a HIV medication. Infectious diseases expert Professor David Paterson said the drugs proved highly effective when first used against the virus in test tubes.
“Prior to the clinical trials going ahead, the medications were given to some of the first patients in Australia infected with COVID-19, and all have completely recovered without any trace of the virus left in their system," he said.
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