Posted by Michael Wonder on 23 Mar 2020
Malaria and arthritis drugs touted as potential coronavirus 'cure', triggering pharmacy rush
23 March 2020 - Pharmacists are being ordered not to dispense two drugs touted as a potential "cures" for coronavirus.
The directive came after Australian pharmacies saw a rush of people presenting scripts for the drugs hydroxychloroquine — sold as Plaquenil — and chloroquine from their GPs, or asking to buy it over the counter.
Demand skyrocketed following a press conference by US President Donald Trump last week, in which he touted the drugs as a "game changer" — comments based on a World Health Organisation report labelling the drugs a "potentially useful" preventative and curative treatment for COVID-19.
