Which is it, Congressman Marshall? ‘First, do no harm’ or ‘First, protect yourself’?
Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall revealed this week that he and his family members are taking the drug hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against COVID-19.
They’ve chosen to follow President Trump rather than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which cautions that the medication shouldn’t be used outside of hospitals or clinical trials.
Last month Trump, when asked whether coronavirus patients should take the unproven drug, said: “What do you have to lose? Take it.”
And this week Trump said he has been taking “the hydroxy” himself, with the approval of the White House physician. Because — shrug — and he’ll say it again: What do you have to lose?
Maybe Trump and Marshall have nothing to lose. But many of their constituents — people who depend on hydroxycholoroquine for chronic conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis — are increasingly having trouble getting refills.
And without the drug, they have a lot to lose.
According to the Johns Hopkins Lupus Center, anti-malarial drugs such as hydroxychloroquine — marketed under the brand name Plaquenil — are considered a sort of “lupus life insurance.” The medication improves muscle and joint pain, skin rashes, fatigue and other symptoms, and also prevents lupus from spreading to certain organs and the central nervous system.
A recent run on the drug, spurred by people and clinics that want to use hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 prevention or treatment (though it’s approved for neither), has meant patients who rely on it are having a hard time finding it.
A lupus patient in Hays recently had her regular dosage reduced because of dwindling supplies. She did not want her name used because the battle over this drug has gotten political, she said. She worries about her medication running out, and stress can be a factor in lupus flare-ups.
But Marshall, a Great Bend physician running for U.S. Senate who wants the nickname “Doc” included on the ballot, apparently had no trouble acquiring the drug for himself, his wife, his parents and his siblings.
What about the medical doctrine of “do no harm”? Perhaps it doesn’t spell out specifically that you shouldn’t hoard sought-after drugs on the off chance they’ll protect you and your family members from a viral pandemic.
Pharmacy associations in several states have advised against off-label use of hydroxychloroquine, including prophylactically, and say the medication should be conserved for those who require it for legitimate medical purposes.
But Trump — and now Marshall — are selfishly ignoring that advice, too.
What do you have to lose? Maybe nothing. Or maybe the respect and trust of the people you represent. Because this is about health, not hype.
Until there’s proof that hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating or preventing COVID-19, the drug should be reserved for people who really need it.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
