The UK is experiencing a bulk purchasing of Hydroxychloroquine, a renowned anti-malarial medicinal drug made even more popular by Donald Trump who takes it as an unproven preventative measure. The drug is being bought in hopes that it may turn out to be effective if the need arises.
Under a £35m contract, ministers are looking for 16m tablets in packets that contain at least a 100 of them within them.
Additional reserves of the drug are being secured as government scientists test it out in hopes that it can be distributed to people if it proves as a beneficial coronavirus cure.
Pharmaceutical suppliers have acquired an opportunity under the newly uploaded contract on the government website that was uploaded on May 15. The contract calls for over 33m supply of tablets made of different drugs from this year’s June to next year’s January.
So far no evidence supports the use of Hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus cure and professionals’ further issue warnings as heart problems can become a consequence of the use of this drug.
Treatment of Lupus and other conditions might suffer a shortage of Hydroxychloroquine, which is a drug used in treatment against such conditions. Trump’s support of the drug might negatively prompt such a global shortage to occur.
The contract specifies that 220mg or 250mg forms of the drug are ideally required by the government of the UK. Substitute strengths of these tablets are also acceptable under the terms of the offer.
Drugs like Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are being studied In the UK, Europe, and the US. Under such studies it is being examined whether these drugs may prove effective in the fight against Covid-19.
The UK government does not presently endorse or recommend the use of this drug but scientists are in the process of researching whether the drug can be a possible treatment for the coronavirus instead of a measure of prevention.
Sources that knew of the Contract explained the reason why the drug was bought in bulk. They reported that in the chance occurrence of the drug being proved as an effective treatment against the coronavirus, the UK would have a safe reserve to help its population. Since these drugs are used to treat other health conditions before it implied new use, they are not expected to be wasted if Covid-19 was proved resistant to the drug.
Azithromycin capsules of 20m strength, packed six in a pack was part of the £35m contract besides Lopinavir-ritonavir a treatment tablet for HIV positive patients which was bought in 1.4m tablet strengths. Oral solutions such as dexamethasone were also included in the bulk purchases.
Clinical trials were linked to the purchases of hydroxychloroquine as reported by a Whitehall source. They say clinical trials are currently evaluating the drug and assessing its success as a coronavirus cure. It was emphasized that the drug be only taken if it is prescribed or if the individual in question is enrolled in a controlled clinical trial.
The World Health Organization expressed its concerns regarding reported incidences where individuals were seriously harmed after taking the drug on a self-diagnosis.
Trump had revealed he had been taking the drug himself taking reporters by a surprise while he was in an on-going meeting discussing the struggles presently emerging in the restaurant industry.
The UK is reported to be hurriedly researching to find potential coronavirus cures and running clinical trials to find safe and useful treatments. Clinical trials include the testing of different drugs like hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir, azithromycin, and dexamethasone says a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care.
Out of clinical trial testing, officials do not recommend the use of these serious drugs such as hydroxychloroquine until there is an announced clear and precise evidence to support its safe usage.
