A rule banning the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of the coronavirus has gone into effect in Ohio starting Thursday.
The new regulation prohibits pharmacies, clinics, and other medical offices from dispensing or selling the controversial drug with few exceptions, including permission from the board director or a prescription for a pet, according to Newsweek.
All previous approvals for the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine “shall be deemed void,” the regulation says.
The drug has been heavily debated in the media ever since President Trump touted the drug and suggested that early findings showed promising results combating the virus.
Critics and some health officials have argued that the drug isn’t effective and can do more harm than good, but some studies, including a study conducted by the Henry Ford Health System, show the drug cut the coronavirus death rate “significantly.”
Ohio’s decision immediately sparked blowback on Twitter from conservatives who believe a helpful drug is being downplayed for political reasons.
“We’ve reached a new level of insanity,” former Senior Adviser to the Secretary of Defense Amber Smith tweeted. “Medical boards are now choosing political trends pushed by the media/big tech over the possibility of saving people’s lives.”
We’ve reached a new level of insanity. Medical boards are now choosing political trends pushed by the media/big tech over the possibility of saving people’s lives.
Ohio Board of Pharmacy bans sale of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus https://t.co/QTNnow8jZ4
— Amber Smith (@AmberSmithUSA) July 30, 2020
“This is an illegal act which will jeopardize the lives of thousands of Ohioans, and should be struck down in court,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham said.
This is an illegal act which will jeopardize the lives of thousands of Ohioans, and should be struck down in court. “Ohio Board of Pharmacy bans sale of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus” | NBC4 WCMH-TV https://t.co/Z1VE1o8t9H
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 30, 2020
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has asked the board to halt the ban of the drug and asked for more input from experts.
“The Board of Pharmacy and the State Medical Board of Ohio should revisit the issue, listen to the best medical science, and open the process up for comment and testimony from experts,” DeWine said in a statement.
