The Rajasthan government has returned the entire stocks of hydroxychloroquine 300 mg tablets and 25% of hydroxychloroquine 200/400 mg tablets to the private firms from which it had acquired the medicine for managing the novel coronavirus patients. The antimalaria drug is considered useful for treatment of COVID-19 and some other ailments.
After the State government acquired the medicines from the clearing and forwarding agents, distributors, stockists, wholesalers and retailers in March-end, its shortage in the market had created inconvenience for patients of rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.
Additional Chief Secretary (Medical & Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said here on Wednesday that these medicines would be available only on medical prescription and the Drug Controllers would take action to prevent their black marketing and profiteering.
The notification for acquiring hydroxychloroquine 200/300/400 mg tablets from private firms was earlier issued under the provisions of Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Act, 1957, for treatment of COVID-19 patients and for controlling the coronavirus infection.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the decision to allow the export of hydroxychloroquine.
