A decree regulating hydroxychloroquine, welcomed by Professor Didier Raoult
Hydroxychloroquine drugs such as Plaquenil may be prescribed by some health care facilities for the treatment of Covid-19. Is this a first step towards generalizing this treatment against the virus?
Has Professor Didier Raoult achieved a first victory for the prescription of hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19? However, on 26 March the doctor congratulated himself on Twitter: "In the context of the health emergency, hydroxychloroquine can be prescribed as a treatment for Covid-19. Thanks to Olivier Véran for listening".
A Decree of the same day specifies that "hydroxychloroquine and the lopinavir/ritonavir combination may be prescribed, dispensed and administered under the responsibility of a doctor to patients suffering from Covid-19, in the health care facilities treating them, as well as, for the continuation of their treatment if their conditions permit and with the authorization of the initial treating doctor, at home". These health facilities are: "Army hospitals, the National Institute for the Disabled and operational medical facilities under the authority of the Minister of Defence deployed in the context of a state of health emergency".
Until now, the doctor who wanted to administer hydroxychloroquine, such as Plaquenil, for the coronavirus was solely responsible for complications. This also means that the treatment can now be reimbursed by social security for the treatment of the virus.
The administration of hydroxychloroquine remains limited.
However, the Decree stipulates that "hydroxychloroquine preparations may only be dispensed by pharmacies on the basis of an initial prescription issued exclusively by specialists in rheumatology, internal medicine, dermatology, nephrology, neurology or paediatrics or on the basis of a renewal of a prescription issued by any doctor". In short, the prescription remains limited and controlled. A general practice doctor may only prescribe hydroxychloroquine if the patient was already undergoing this treatment for a disease other than Covid-19 (such as malaria).
While this drug is currently in massive demand, the pharmaceutical agency ANSM has confirmed to AFP that this drug cannot be used "in the treatment of Covid-19 in civil medicine".
Finally, the decree confirms that 'the export of special substances containing the combination lopinavir/ritonavir or hydroxychloroquine is prohibited'. This seems to confirm that the State has decided to change course and shows its interest in the protocol. It is a question of "protecting" patients who need it and "avoiding the risk of interrupting" their treatment because of prescriptions "without any justification", confirmed to AFP Dr. Dominique Martin, Director General of ANSM.
Poste similare
