CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - The Wyoming Board of Medicine is warning physicians against hoarding and misusing a pair of drugs touted as potential treatments for the coronavirus, its executive director said.
Kevin Bohnenblust told the Casper Star-Tribune the board met Thursday after hearing reports that physicians were writing prescriptions for family and friends for medications usually used to treat malaria, lupus and arthritis.
“(The board is) saying, ’We need to take this seriously; if you’re inappropriately prescribing this and giving it to people who aren’t symptomatic, that’s a violation of the (medical practice), act and we’ll take action,’” Bohnenblust said.
The two drugs - chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine - were shown to be effective in a limited study in Europe and they are being studied in the U.S., but physicians have cautioned against writing prescriptions for the drugs before the science supports it.
Matt Martineau, the executive director of the Board of Pharmacy, told the Star-Tribune that his board had heard from Wyoming pharmacists about practitioners writing prescriptions for themselves and family members. The board told its members to use their “professional judgment” in deciding whether to fill those prescriptions.
The Board of Medicine’s statement said the medications have side effects that must be monitored and the supply of the medications is tailored to meet the needs of people with lupus or arthritis. A rush on the medications would leave those patients short of the drugs they rely on to treat their chronic conditions, officials said.
“The Wyoming Board of Medicine expects physicians and physician assistants to adhere to the standard of care at all times, and will aggressively investigate any reports of inappropriate prescribing related to COVID-19 and misallocation of scarce health resources during this public health emergency,” the board wrote in its statement.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in several weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
In other coronavirus-related news:
- The town of Jackson approved a shelter-in-place ordinance on Saturday, urging all residents to stay home with the exception of necessary trips to the grocery store or to seek medical care. A similar order was already in place for people over age 65 and those with high risk medical conditions. The ordinance is in effect through April 17.
- Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr commended Jackson for its decision and urged Gov. Mark Gordon to follow suit. Gordon has said he was hoping to avoid a statewide stay-at-home order, but did not rule it out. Casper Mayor Steve Freel on Friday said more stringent orders may be needed in that community if residents didn’t do a better job of following social-distancing guidelines.
- Wyoming has 86 positive tests for COVID-19 as of Sunday, the Department of Health said. No deaths have been reported.
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