We need to do something about physicians panic buying Plaquenil for themselves.

[WVUPharm2007]

It's going to be a problem. None of them have any symptoms. Yet they are self prescribing. Two already since I started at 8.

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[Xenophylia]

They'll do it simply because they can. Where "survival" is concerned, we all know ethics go out the window. And a lot of "God Complex" docs are ethically challenged to begin with, so I don't see this surprising anyone.

 

[SClENCE]

Ia there any quality data supporting it's use? Giving it to 24 patients in France does't mean much to me.

 

[Xenophylia]

Will be interesting to see if wholesalers start to run out of this shortly......

 

[Wickett]

My company randomly sent us extra bottles of it today, saying they expect it to reach a shortage at some point soon.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Will be interesting to see if wholesalers start to run out of this shortly......

Already on backorder.

 

[Xenophylia]

Already on backorder.

Why am I not at all surprised?

 

[VA77]

Got an email today to buy all allocated amounts.

 

[Sine Cura]

Just refuse self-prescribing. Save your hydroxychloroquine for your actual patients esp now it's gonna be backordered.

If people actually use the "out of stock" excuse to get rid of opioid pt they can certainly use the OOS excuse for this too

Kaletra went on back order too in Dec. Clown world

 

[RxPreceptor]

Only one self prescribed HCQ last night; has not caught on yet

 

[OmiPharmD]

It's going to be a problem. None of them have any symptoms. Yet they are self prescribing. Two already since I started at 8.

My husband had 3 docs self- prescribe yesterday. No symptoms just like yours.

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[M0df]

Ia there any quality data supporting it's use? Giving it to 24 patients in France does't mean much to me.

It is more than 24 patients. Chloroquine and Plaquenil were used in China and South Korea, which could be a very large sample size. Questions about efficacy were given to Dr. Fauci on Fox and CNN over the course of last few days. His answers were evasive.

I am not advocating its use or hoarding for that matter but I can see doctors being concerned. No PPEs in the hospital and spring breakers in Florida, high density population of NYC, etc would set off alarms for any doctor. I mean what is this nonsense of creating your own masks at home by CDC of all people.

 

[APN-59 rph]

Can't remember the last time I touched this...someone look and see where it's made...cause the last boat left the far east about two weeks ago now...

 

[VictorOfHungerGames]

Just tried ordering some from cardinal. all gone lol good lord.

 

[VictorOfHungerGames]

Ia there any quality data supporting it's use? Giving it to 24 patients in France does't mean much to me.

Im sure with so much chaos, i'm sure people will try tiger blood if they're told it's gonna work lol Charlie Sheen already immune to corona at this point if so since he's been bi-winning for a decade lol

 

[Old Timer]

I would refuse any rxs for large quantities. You can download the study here. Personally, If i tested positive or was exposed to a person who was infected, I would take it High reward low risk. Plaquenil 200 mg tid x 10 days + a Z-Pak. It's a no brainer.....

 

[firework]

Why don’t they use their family members name?

 

[mentos]

Why don’t they use their family members name?

Oh I don't know maybe cause that would be fraud?

 

[Sparda29]

Our hospital is treating it as a controlled substance now.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

You have to protect not only your other patients that need it for RA/lupus, but potentially society at large. Whatever demand we don't create on the outpatient side increases the ability for those on the inpatient side to acquire it for more severe cases. We need to suppress outpatient demand.

So stay strong, lads and ladettes. We are the gatekeepers. Treat prescribers trying to get Plaquenil like opioid seekers. We all know that each of us have God-tier bull**** detectors from decades of dealing with opioid addicts. They will try to use the same intimidation tactics. Be firm, be strong, if they threaten to call corporate just say "Fine, 1-800-SHOP-CVS, good luck with that."

Don't let Plaquenil be toilet paper 2.0.

 

[Chrish]

Tbh I see the rationale. If you are a pcp/ urgent care/ emergency physician, you are at significantly higher risk from seeing these patients.

I don’t think it’s inappropriate in limited quantity.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I'm fine with giving them the prophylactic dose. 2 tabs every week.

Of course, we have no idea if that works. Or if it works as a treatment dose in the general population, really.

 

[gwarm01]

Ia there any quality data supporting it's use? Giving it to 24 patients in France does't mean much to me.

Excellent post + username combo.

 

[firework]

Oh I don't know maybe cause that would be fraud?

what's the difference of self-prescribing and prescribing for family members, given none of the above has symptoms. If a prescriber wants to hoard Plaquenil, why doesn't he write an Rx for each family member?

 

[Sine Cura]

what's the difference of self-prescribing and prescribing for family members, given none of the above has symptoms. If a prescriber wants to hoard Plaquenil, why doesn't he write an Rx for each family member?

Because that would still be fraud. What prescriber keeps a medical record of zpak prescribing for their crotch spawn

No one is getting Plaquenil from me anyway except for the regular patients already on it for legitimate conditions

 

[grumpyRph]

Tbh I see the rationale. If you are a pcp/ urgent care/ emergency physician, you are at significantly higher risk from seeing these patients.

I don’t think it’s inappropriate in limited quantity.

wait yeah i'm too lazy and too busy to look into the research. but it's actually being used prophylactically? or are you just saying as soon as they get any symptom onset they would take it?

it still hasn't caught on yet fully. i texted my ER good friend last night, all i said was "plaquenil!" and he had NO idea.

 

[firework]

Because that would still be fraud. What prescriber keeps a medical record of zpak prescribing for their crotch spawn

No one is getting Plaquenil from me anyway except for the regular patients already on it for legitimate conditions

My point is, self-prescribing is obvious, they probably won't get it in current situation. Why don't they prescribe for their family? I just don't get the logic of self-prescribing Plaquenil.

 

[firework]

Prescribing Plaquenil for prophylaxis use is legit.

 

[Sine Cura]

DailyMed - HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE SULFATE tablet

dailymed.nlm.nih.gov

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets are indicated for the suppressive treatment and treatment of acute attacks of malaria due to Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and susceptible strains of P. falciparum. It is also indicated for the treatment of discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

We don't get malaria cases even in U.S. ghettos

 

[Chrish]

wait yeah i'm too lazy and too busy to look into the research. but it's actually being used prophylactically? or are you just saying as soon as they get any symptom onset they would take it?

it still hasn't caught on yet fully. i texted my ER good friend last night, all i said was "plaquenil!" and he had NO idea.

From what I understood, it’s for treatment. Sample size is small with a study of 25 people but that’s the best we have right now.

Again, I may be in minority but I don’t understand this overreaction. Physicians and nurses are currently at the highest risk. They have to physically examine these patients. I don’t see anything wrong if physician self-prescribes 30 pills or less for themselves.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

From what I understood, it’s for treatment. Sample size is small with a study of 25 people but that’s the best we have right now.

Again, I may be in minority but I don’t understand this overreaction. Physicians and nurses are currently at the highest risk. They have to physically examine these patients. I don’t see anything wrong if physician self-prescribes 30 pills or less for themselves.

I can see the argument for that, but neither of the physicians that I dealt with the other night were ED workers. And we have no idea at all if it does anything for prophylaxis. Hell, we really don't even know if it works, period.

 

[sfachine]

We dispense a lot of meds and sell OTC a lot of meds that we really don't even know they work

 

[Sabril]

Each physician wants "several bottles" of plaquenil and a handful of Zpak. Was waiting for one to order two large fries with that

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Each physician wants "several bottles" of plaquenil and a handful of Zpak. Was waiting for one to order two large fries with that

Limit 12 tabs and 1 Zpak per conference call this morning.

 

[Old Timer]

Limit 12 tabs and 1 Zpak per conference call this morning.

That's foolish. The study was tid x 10 days plus a z-pak???? Our confernce call said use your judgement

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Correction, 12 tabs plaquenil, zpak not mentioned. Second hand info got jumbled in translation.

 

[txpharmguy]

Very simple for us: OOS and on back order. K. Thanks. Bye

 

[Momus]

I just got #30 for myself. I asked a doctor and he said sure. Just in case. If it doesn't do nothing, I'll lose $15 whatever.

 

[Skajaquada77]

Yep, so all the patients in the study under medical supervision after confirmed positive. This cocktail has terrible side effects. Why would you take the cocktail as prophylaxis? If you need these meds you should be in the hospital anyway. I actually tried to type one today and got the good ol’ “Severe interaction due to life-threatening arrythmias including Torsades de pointes”. What bothers me is a freaking resident trying to call it in claiming it was for a confirmed positive 9 year old. I questioned her since we had only 2 cases in our county, local authorities notified? Health Department? When did you get results? So i said sure i will fill it, just pretending. Then called back the clinic at hospital where resident was working from To talk to MD or nurse in charge... not their patient, no confirmed cases. So unethical.
Rxs must be written for a legitimate medical purpose by a physician in their normal course of practice. Period. Society is crumbling...

 

[Sine Cura]

Just goes to show sometimes you have to push back against these garbage self-serving prescribers. Otherwise it'll be another "but the other pharmacy/pharmacist/spineless pushover did it for me last time" except this is a zero-sum situation until hydroxychloroquine is readily available again


Have fun when you're doing these scripts for some cheap-**** physician who actually wants to run some GoodRx cards. FFS

 

[Wickett]

Texas BOP just put a bunch of restrictions on dispensing plaquenil, azithromycin, etc because of all this. We dont have much plaquenil and simply tell prescribers doing this it's unavailable. We need what we have for our established patients that need it monthly.

 

[Xenophylia]

I've been reading posts about docs ordering #300 tabs at a time from retail pharmacies. Wonder if they are going to resell to patients at a huge markup due to the shortage....(CASH only, of course)

 

[RxPreceptor]

OOS, had one family attempt to drop off more than half a dozen Rxs for combo Azithromycin + HCQ. HCQ = New "toilet paper" indeed. Not dispensing BS orders for like #180 count HCQ from MDs; it's got to be reasonable/not fair to those who NEED the drug for RA, Lupus, etc.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I've been reading posts about docs ordering #300 tabs at a time from retail pharmacies. Wonder if they are going to resell to patients at a huge markup due to the shortage....(CASH only, of course)

Self-prescribing is not always against the law for us (state dependent), but reselling like that always is unless they are set up for dispensing which is pretty rare and the doctors who do that aren't going to be getting their supplies from a retail pharmacy.

 

[Xenophylia]

I can't see why any practitioner would need #300 tabs (or 180, which I've read is more common in several posts) unless they intend to resell. Not when the course of therapy is only one tid x 10 days and (as yet) there is no study for a prophylactic regimen. There are always those who have no moral problems profiteering from a crisis.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I can't see why any practitioner would need #300 tabs (or 180, which I've read is more common in several posts) unless they intend to resell. Not when the course of therapy is only one tid x 10 days and (as yet) there is no study for a prophylactic regimen. There are always those who have no moral problems profiteering from a crisis.

Sharing with family

 

[Xenophylia]

You must have a REALLY big family.... And shouldn't the meds be reserved for those that actually HAVE the disease. Or do you feel better keeping a hoard for yourself and your family "just in case". You are "entitled" to that, aren't you?

 

[BidingMyTime]

Can't remember the last time I touched this...someone look and see where it's made...cause the last boat left the far east about two weeks ago now...

More like 2 months, but either way, people who were genuinely using it before are going to lose.

 

[projektreverb]

Wags just capped all new scripts to 14 days and refills at 30 days.

If you feel like shady practices are happening now would be the time to anonymously say something to your state medical board. Don’t need to name specific providers but just say you’re seeing it happen.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Our hospital is treating it as a controlled substance now.

same thing with combivent inhalers