Doctors banned from prescribing potential COVID-19 drug

Doctors who prescribe an anti-malarial drug being trumpeted as a potential COVID-19 treatment face a $13,000 fine.

New prescription rules, brought into effect in Queensland on Tuesday, mean clinicians are banned from prescribing the drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a COVID-19 treatment.

Some early studies suggest hydroxychloroquine is effective in preventing COVID-19.Credit: AP/Ben Margot

Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial now used to treat autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is no solid evidence it is effective against COVID-19, but federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there had been “some promising research so far”.

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 spruiked 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.

“However, we know that most people with COVID-19 recover completely, thanks to their immune system, so random anecdotal experiences of some people need to be replaced by rigorous clinical trials.”

Professor Paterson said the aim was to treat COVID-19 patients as soon as they were admitted to hospital.

“This will enable us to test the first wave of Australian patients and gain real-world experience with this treatment, especially since we expect ongoing infections to continue for many months," he said.

“If we can obtain the best possible information now, then we can quickly treat subsequent patients down the track."

- with Liam Mannix