Outpatients who have been confirmed with Covid19 can be prescribed Azithromycin or/and hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, the Health Ministry announced on Friday.
An announcement says that these drugs will be distributed by specific pharmacies with a prescription from the GP. The drugs will be delivered to the patients’ houses by a group of volunteers as these patients need to stay in self-isolation.
The prescription of these drugs has been made possible following directives given by the Ministry’s Scientific Advisory Body on the pandemic.
According to the announcement, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are used for the treatment of malaria and autoimmune diseases but so far it has not been proved clinically that they can be effective for the treatment of Covid19. The directives say that these drugs are used for the relief of the symptoms of Covid19 and not for the treatment of the disease.
The announcement also points that the European Medicines Agency has advised that these drugs may have serious side effects especially if taken in high doses and in combination with other drugs and cannot be taken without a prescription and medical supervision.
The Ministry points out once again that the patients need to follow their doctors’ instructions and the directions given by the authorities.
(CNA)
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