Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Contested Anti-Malarial Drug Used In Nursing Homes, Inspectors Find
The Washington Post: Citing Reports About Use Of Hydroxychloroquine In Nursing Homes, Senators Call For Federal Probe
Fearing the experimental use of hydroxychloroquine went “unchecked” in nursing homes struck by the coronavirus, three U.S. senators are calling on federal authorities to determine whether providers improperly treated patients, failed to disclose serious side effects or faced any repercussions from regulators responsible for oversight of the industry. In a letter sent Thursday to the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pointed to state inspection reports that cited nursing homes for treating residents with the antimalarial drug without the consent of patients or their family members. (Cenziper, 8/27)
ABC News: Controversial Coronavirus Drug Hydroxychloroquine Administered At 2 Nursing Homes, Senators Say
Nursing homes in Texas and Pennsylvania administered hydroxychloroquine to residents battling novel coronavirus without first gaining needed approvals, according to state inspector reports highlighted by a group of Democratic senators Thursday. The senators said the drug, which has been aggressively touted by President Donald Trump as a promising treatment for COVID-19 despite sparse evidence, was used in one nursing home after the Food and Drug Administration specifically warned against its use in non-hospital settings. (Pecorin and Freger, 8/27)
In other news about hydroxychloroquine —
CIDRAP: Review Of COVID Studies Links Increased Death To Hydroxychloroquine Plus Azithromycin
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine found that the antimalaria drug alone was not associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized patients, but when combined with the antibiotic azithromycin it was linked with significantly increased mortality, European researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. The researchers looked at 29 studies published up until Jul 25, including 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1 non-randomized trial. After excluding 11 studies with critical risk of bias, the meta-analysis included 11,932 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine, 8,081 treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, and 12,930 who received neither drug. The investigators compared mortality between patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and those treated with the standard of care, as well as death rates with hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin. (8/27)
