SISOLAK IGNORED MAYO CLINIC hydroxychloroquine GUIDANCE

April 18, 2020

Rob Lauer Political Reporter

On April 10, 2020, the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy responded to 360 News Las Vegas’ request for documents regarding their hydroxychloroquine policy. One email caught our attention. The email (see below attached) was from a Walgreens employee named Alexandra who emailed the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy seeking permission to fill a prescription on March 22, 2020. The next day Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed a State of Emergency Declaration barring Nevada Doctors outside hospitals from prescribing the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use against the Corona Virus limiting how many a pills a patient can receive for “approved” uses, unrelated to the COVID19.

The prescription for hydroxychloroquine wasn’t from some random doctor seeking to hoard the meds. This was from an ER Doctor seeking to protect himself from COVID19. But instead of protecting our front line Doctors with medications, the Pharmacy Board (Not 1 doctor on the Board) followed the brand new Emergency Order signed by Gov. Sisolak and denied the ER Doctor the medication on March 23, 2020. The Nevada State Board of Pharmacy spokesperson confirmed that yes, their policy still as of today is to deny hydroxychloroquine ER Doctors and nurses as a preventative measure.

Sisolak and the Pharmacy Board directly ignored the primary use of the drug as a preventive measure, as described in the Mayo Clinic in the article below, when Sisolak denied doctors and nurses working closely with COVID 19 patients requesting to use the drug to protect themselves from getting infected. Two nurses died last week who worked closely with patients.

On March 25, 2020 the Mayo Clinic provided guidance for using hydroxychloroquine for COVID 19.

The guidance in the article is concerned about people with “prolonged QTc are at increased risk for potentially life-threatening ventricular rhythm abnormalities”. But the article went on to state “Importantly, the vast majority of patients ― about 90% ― are going to be QTc cleared with a ‘green light go’ and can proceed, being at extremely low risk for this side effect,” says Dr. Ackerman.”

The article continues:

Hydroxychloroquine is a long-standing preventive and treatment drug for malaria. It also is used to manage and minimize symptoms of inflammatory immune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In laboratory tests, hydroxychloroquine can prevent the SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 viruses from attaching to and entering cells. If these antiviral abilities work the same way in animals and humans, the drug could be used to treat patients and limit the number of COVID-19 deaths.

In another Article from The Mayo Clinic, they describe protocols for using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as preventative measures being the primary use of the drug.

For patients taking chloroquine to prevent malaria:

• Your doctor will want you to start taking this medicine 1 to 2 weeks before you travel to an area where there is a chance of getting malaria. This will help you to see how you react to the medicine. Also, it will allow time for your doctor to change to another medicine if you have a reaction to this medicine.
• Also, you should keep taking this medicine while you are in the area and for 4 weeks after you leave the area. No medicine will protect you completely from malaria. However, to protect you as completely as possible, it is important to keep taking this medicine for the full time your doctor ordered. Also, if fever develops during your travels or within 2 months after you leave the area, check with your doctor immediately.

If you are taking this medicine to help keep you from getting malaria, keep taking it for the full time of treatment.

If you already have malaria, you should still keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment even if you begin to feel better after a few days. This will help clear up your infection completely. If you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/chloroquine-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20062834