Editorial Board | cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer
Yes, scientists should explore all avenues that could save lives or ease suffering during the coronavirus pandemic. That includes looking at whether chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, two long-used anti-malarial drugs highly effective in treating symptoms of the autoimmune diseases lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, could also help COVID-19 patients. The research is suggestive but preliminary and, from a scientific standpoint, inconclusive, although some doctors are already prescribing chloroquine to treat COVID-19.
That doesn’t mean, however, that it should be open season on illegal hoarding of these critical medications.
The apparent rush to do so in Ohio has already led the state pharmacy board to take emergency action to keep pharmacists from filling such fraudulent prescriptions, and a joint state-federal law enforcement effort to identify illegal prescription-writing, and prosecute it.
We applaud both efforts.