Johnson leads campaign to bar discipline against doctors using anti-malaria drugs in COVID-19 patients

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is asking doctors to sign onto a letter asking President Donald Trump to boost access to a drug some think could help treat COVID-19. He’s also asking Trump to bar medical boards from taking action against doctors using the drug.

The letter asks Trump to remove a Food and Drug Administration restriction requiring hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine from the Strategic National Stockpile to be used for hospitalized patients. It asks Trump to direct the FDA to include the option of early outpatient use too.

Drug company Novartis recently donated 30 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the stockpile.

The letter also asks Trump to issue a directive or order barring governors from restricting the drug to only hospitalized patients. And it asks him to stop medical board and pharmacy boards from threats of disciplinary action against doctors and pharmacists prescribing and dispensing the drug for those in early treatment for COVID-19, as well as those at risk and those exposed.

Johnson said Friday that 776 doctors had already signed onto the letter, which he submitted to the White House.

Wisconsin associations for doctors and pharmacists last month advised doctors and others not to stockpile the drugs since they deprive patients suffering from other diseases of their medically required treatments. The associations support clinical trials to determine treatments for COVID-19.

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