Experts caution against risks of anti-malarial drug

Tribune News Service

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Rohtak, May 3

Several medical experts have warned against the indiscriminate use of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the prevention or treatment of coronavirus as it may cause life-threatening health issues, including heart disorders and convulsions.

Safety-monitoring and critical appraisal pertaining to the adverse drug reactions (ADR) of certain anti-malarial, anti-HIV, anti-influenza and antibiotic medicines being administered to Covid patients is being carried out by the Department of Pharmacology of PGIMS-Rohtak as a part of a national study.

“The department is among the ADR Monitoring Centres under the Pharmaco-vigilance Programme of India, a flagship programme of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare being spearheaded by the Indian Pharmacopia Commission (IPC),” said Dr MC Gupta, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Coordinator of the programme.

It may be pertinent to mention that anti-malarial drug HCQ, anti-HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir, anti-inflammatory drug oseltamivir and antibiotic drug azithromycin are being given for prevention and/or treatment of Covid.

“As per the data collected by us, some of the patients who are taking HCQ have reported mild disorders like nausea, vomiting, headache, watery eyes and diarrhea, but the drug has the potential to cause life-threatening health issues like heart disorders and convulsions,” said Dr Gupta.

The medical expert cautions that if HCQ has to be given to a patient for prevention or treatment of Covid, it should be administered under the prescription of a competent physician and in compliance with the relevant guidelines of the ICMR.