Chloroquine in Short Supply as Hospitals Buy in Bulk

Providers have been purchasing significant amounts of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in anticipation that they will be used to treat COVID-19, drastically depleting available supply, according to a new report from Premier.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still investigating whether the inexpensive, old anti-malaria drugs can tame symptoms and limit the spread of the highly contagious virus, hospitals have responded to clinical trials in other countries that have shown promising results.

Orders of chloroquine spiked 3,000% in March, according to data from Premier, the group purchasing and consulting organization. From January 2019 through February 2020, hospitals ordered an average of 149 units a month. More than 2,300 units were ordered through March thus far.

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