Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

September 4, 2020

Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine Prescribing Patterns by Provider Specialty Following Initial Reports of Potential Benefit for COVID-19 Treatment — United States

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• New prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the US by medical professionals in specialties that do not routinely use these medications (<2% of prescriptions in 2019) rose from 1,143 in February 2020 to 75,596 in March 2020, an 80-fold increase from March 2019. These medications were reported to have benefits for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic, but are not currently recommended by federal guidelines.

Bull-Otterson et al. (Sept 4, 2020). Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine Prescribing Patterns by Provider Specialty Following Initial Reports of Potential Benefit for COVID-19 Treatment — United States, January–June 2020. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6935a4