UNIVERSITY of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academic in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Fatima Suleman has cautioned that African countries must consider implementing a prescription monitoring scheme to ensure that Covid-19 patients, who are being treated with Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine, are protected against the serious side effects associated with these drugs.
Suleman has contributed to a perspective paper published in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, titled, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for the Prevention or Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) in Africa: Caution for Inappropriate Off-Label Use in Healthcare Settings.
The paper responds to the serious health risks these medications pose if used as a treatment on patients other than those its efficacy has already been proven on.
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These medications are commonly used to treat patients with chronic illnesses such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and auto immune conditions.
Currently, the mass panic buying of the drugs as a possible treatment for Covid-19 has led to a global shortage of the medication and is seriously impacting on many who rely on it.
Co-author, Professor Jean Nachega says, “Off-label use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine can cause abnormal heart rhythms, including ventricular tachycardia, and cardiac toxicity if either drug is used alone or combined with other medicines. Drug-drug interactions between chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine and medications for diseases that are common in Africa, like HIV and tuberculosis, can also, potentially, make the drugs ineffective or toxic.”
Suleman and the team of authors are advocating for pharmacists to dispense these medications with prescriptions for approved indications.
“If doctors prescribe these medications, they should have a monitoring system in place in the event of serious side effects and adverse events. As there are no proven, registered therapies for Covid-19, doctors must keep abreast of the literature to look at outcomes from other practices and countries so that, if serious effects are discovered and published, the therapy can be stopped immediately for other patients”, she said.
Suleman has called for educational webinars in Africa to educate people on the serious side effects of the use of these drugs. She says there is a need for a collaborative network in Africa to ensure coordinated production, distribution and post-marketing surveillance of any approved Covid-19 drug aligned with low-cost distribution.
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