Ohio Pharmacy Board Reverses Ban On Hydroxychloroquine

COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio Board of Pharmacy reversed course on a decision to bar the use of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19.

Gov. Mike DeWine intervened and asked the board to reverse its decision. On Thursday, the board complied with the governor's request.

"Therefore, prohibitions on the prescribing of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in Ohio for the treatment of COVID-19 will not take effect at this time," the board said in a statement. "This will allow the Board to reexamine the issue with the assistance of the State Medical Board of Ohio, clinical experts, and other stakeholders to determine appropriate next steps."

This week, the board briefly issued a new rule barring the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat or prevent COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine is a commonly used anti- malarial, arthritis and autoimmune drug, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On June 15, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) said hydroxychloroquine offers no health benefits to people who have contracted COVID-19.

"We made this determination based on recent results from a large, randomized clinical trial in hospitalized patients that found these medicines showed no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery," the FDA said. The administration also released a list of safety concerns related to the medication, including heart rhythm problems associated with the treatment.

Gov. Mike DeWine then asked the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to reverse its decision and allow hydroxychloroquine to be prescribed to patients. He said medication decisions should be made by doctors and patients.

"Therefore, I am asking the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to halt their new rule prohibiting the selling or dispensing of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. 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.

The board complied with the governor's request on Thursday afternoon.