Kuwait withdraws chloroquine from private pharmacies

Kuwait’s Health Ministry has withdrawn all quantities of medicines containing hydroxylchloroquine or chloroquine from private pharmacies, and limited them to hospitals and health centres only.

In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the Undersecretary of Health for Drug and Food Control Affairs Dr Abdullah Al Bader said that the decision requested pharmacies to provide the drug inspection department with a detailed statement of the drugs’ quantities.

US President Donald Trump has claimed the medicines could provide a cure for the deadly Covid-19 strain of coronavirus, calling it a “game changer” in the continued fight.

Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Al-Sanad said the drug (Blacknell) which contains hydroxychloride, is registered in Kuwait to treat immune diseases such as arthritis, lupus and skin allergy diseases, stressing that it has not been licensed or approved to treat coronavirus.

This treatment is currently used as an experimental treatment within protocols for specific cases of patients under the supervision of a specialised medical staff who closely follow the patient and monitor the occurrence of any adverse symptoms or complications during the treatment period.”