Telangana: Arthritis patients face shortage of hydroxychloroquine

HYDERABAD: Arthritis and lupus patients are facing a shortage of hydroxychloroquine as stocks have been partially pulled from the drug stores in the state.
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug, and it is now believed to be working for Covid-19 patients due to which its demand has increased across the world.
Drug Control Administration (DCA) director Preeti Meena on Thursday issued directions to all drug inspectors to ensure the drug is available in all pharmacies and should be given based on prescription.
An official of DCA told TOI, “In some places, we took stocks of hydroxychloroquine from pharmacies and C&F agents to be supplied to Covid-19 hospitals like Gandhi Hospital. Doctors and medical staff are using the drug as prophylactic treatment.”
“Covid-19 patients are also given the drug. We didn’t pull off the entire stock. Stocks are available at several pharmacies. More stocks are coming in as well,” the official added. The antimalarial drug hydroxychloqrouine is used in the treatment of the autoimmune disorder, lupus.
N Bala Reddy, an arthritis patient told TOI, “I visited at least four to five pharmacies with my prescription, but the drug is not available anywhere.”
Druggists in Miryalaguda and Nalgonda said that the drug inspectors had taken away the stocks from the drug stores.
A drug official said, “We have given license to six more units in the state for manufacturing of the antimalarial drug. These formulations are looking for APIs active pharmaceutical ingredient).
“I hope they will start operations soon. Big companies like Hetero and Optimus are also into API production,” the official added.
Pharmaexcil, the export promotion council, had earlier asked the government to relax the ban on export of the drug.
Recently. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has relaxed the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine.