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 Walgreens Boots Alliance has placed limits on prescriptions of
hydroxychloroquine and the related malaria treatment chloroquine.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week touted the malaria drugs,
which have been tried with some success against the illness caused
by the new coronavirus. That led to a spike in demand amid the
fast-spreading outbreak that has infected some 60,000 people in the
United States, according to pharmacists.
Top U.S. infectious disease official and coronavirus task force
member Anthony Fauci said last week it is too soon to embrace the
old, generic drugs as a treatment, saying the therapy must be tested
to assure its safety and efficacy in these patients.
The drugs are being embraced because there are no approved vaccines
or treatments against the highly contagious respiratory illness
called COVID-19.
Both CVS and Express Scripts, which is part of Cigna Corp, said they
are setting limits on hydroxychloroquine, antibiotic azithromycin, a
type of anti-viral called a protease inhibitor and albuterol
inhalers.
The move aims to enable patients with chronic conditions to access
their treatments. Hydroxychloroquine, for instance, is a treatment
for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in addition to malaria, while
albuterol is used to manage asthma.
Walgreens now has a 14-day limit for new prescriptions, a 30-day
supply limit for refills, and a reduction in 90-day prescriptions to
30 days, spokeswoman Kelli Teno said in a statement.
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CVS said it would work with clients, which include employers and health
insurers, to set an appropriate limit on the drug for potential use in patients
with COVID-19.
Express Scripts spokeswoman Jennifer Luddy said in a statement that the limits
are in line with board of pharmacy and other state regulations.
"We are seeing a surge in demand for these potential therapies, and are talking
with manufacturers regularly about production," Luddy said.
Because the treatment is not widely used, supply of the drug is normally
limited. Last week, four makers of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine pills,
including Novartis, Mylan NV, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd <Teva TA> and
Bayer AG, said they would increase production and donate millions of doses in
the United States and elsewhere.
Separately, India on Wednesday banned export of hydroxychloroquine and other
formulations of the malaria drug while it is being tested for an illness that
has sickened about 459,000 people worldwide.
(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Caroline Humer in New York, Editing
by Paul Simao and Bill Berkrot)
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