Michelle Petri, MD, MPH - Managing Hydroxychloroquine Save
Michelle Petri, MD, MPH - Managing Hydroxychloroquine by Dr. Cush
Transcription
Hi, I'm Jack Cush. I'm here with Doctor. Michelle Petrie from Johns Hopkins. We asked Michelle to get on the line today and talk about hydroxychloroquine. Good afternoon, Michelle.
Hi.
Okay, so hydroxychloroquine is under the spotlight. The president says it should be used for the treatment of COVID infection. Now there's gonna be a run on it. Right now there's still some out there, but what's your take on hydroxychloroquine in the news and the potential for a shortage?
The role of hydroxychloroquine for COVID is premature. We don't have clinical trials yet. We have what looks like a very poorly designed trial from France, and we have some data from China that have never been published and scrutinized. So, there is some science, I want everyone to hold off. We want all our decisions made right now based on science, not a wish list.
There is a shortage. Because people are so afraid the hydroxychloroquine is getting siphoned out of the pharmacies and my lupus patients can't get it.
Yeah, it's a problem. It seems like I'm getting calls from pharmacists and others saying, hey, can you choose something else besides hydroxychloroquine for your patient for with lupus or rheumatoid so we can hold on to it? What would you say to that?
When there really is nothing left, then chloroquine could be used the older anti malarial, the equivalent dose to four hundred milligrams of hydroxychloroquine would be two fifty milligrams of chloroquine. It might be a stopgap.
Okay, so we are also getting questions about refills and whether we should be just go ahead and refilling as we normally would, three months or one month refills, or do you have any suggestions on how you're handling the refill situation with your patients?
Right now, as of today, I'm still doing three month refills when I can because we think this COVID pandemic is gonna go on through June, So, I can't have patients running out in a month. But I'm afraid many of my patients today have not been able to get it. I'm not sure I'll be able to do that tomorrow or the next day.
Right, so in the event we do or run into a shortage situation, how are you going to handle those who are right now well controlled on hydroxychloroquine? Will you make a switch over to chloroquine or will you choose another drug? Or do you have a strategy at this point?
I'll make a switch over to chloroquine when I can. If there's no chloroquine and a patient flares, we'll have to go back to what I'm calling medieval rheumatology, which is giving prednisone for lupus flares. It's terrible trying to be a rheumatologist now, as you know, because we can't order labs, we can't physically see our patients. These are very difficult times.
Okay. So, staying up to date, getting information from experts like yourself is very, very helpful. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us.
You're welcome.
All right. Bye bye.
Bye.
Hi.
Okay, so hydroxychloroquine is under the spotlight. The president says it should be used for the treatment of COVID infection. Now there's gonna be a run on it. Right now there's still some out there, but what's your take on hydroxychloroquine in the news and the potential for a shortage?
The role of hydroxychloroquine for COVID is premature. We don't have clinical trials yet. We have what looks like a very poorly designed trial from France, and we have some data from China that have never been published and scrutinized. So, there is some science, I want everyone to hold off. We want all our decisions made right now based on science, not a wish list.
There is a shortage. Because people are so afraid the hydroxychloroquine is getting siphoned out of the pharmacies and my lupus patients can't get it.
Yeah, it's a problem. It seems like I'm getting calls from pharmacists and others saying, hey, can you choose something else besides hydroxychloroquine for your patient for with lupus or rheumatoid so we can hold on to it? What would you say to that?
When there really is nothing left, then chloroquine could be used the older anti malarial, the equivalent dose to four hundred milligrams of hydroxychloroquine would be two fifty milligrams of chloroquine. It might be a stopgap.
Okay, so we are also getting questions about refills and whether we should be just go ahead and refilling as we normally would, three months or one month refills, or do you have any suggestions on how you're handling the refill situation with your patients?
Right now, as of today, I'm still doing three month refills when I can because we think this COVID pandemic is gonna go on through June, So, I can't have patients running out in a month. But I'm afraid many of my patients today have not been able to get it. I'm not sure I'll be able to do that tomorrow or the next day.
Right, so in the event we do or run into a shortage situation, how are you going to handle those who are right now well controlled on hydroxychloroquine? Will you make a switch over to chloroquine or will you choose another drug? Or do you have a strategy at this point?
I'll make a switch over to chloroquine when I can. If there's no chloroquine and a patient flares, we'll have to go back to what I'm calling medieval rheumatology, which is giving prednisone for lupus flares. It's terrible trying to be a rheumatologist now, as you know, because we can't order labs, we can't physically see our patients. These are very difficult times.
Okay. So, staying up to date, getting information from experts like yourself is very, very helpful. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us.
You're welcome.
All right. Bye bye.
Bye.
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