SAN ANTONIO — Since she was diagnosed with lupus 14 years ago, Marci Payne has been a vocal advocate for those in San Antonio living with the autoimmune disease. She works with the Lupus Foundation of America, and hopes to speak out for those who live with lupus nationwide. 

  • Lupus patients concerned Plaquenil will be hard to get
  • May be a possible treatment for COVID-19
  • Experts say it’s too soon to confirm if the drug will be effective 

“I think lupus patients are panicking because they are afraid that [pharmacies] may not have enough medication to go around,” said Payne. 

Payne is talking about the recent publicity surrounding the drug Plaquenil, also known by its generic name hydroxychloroquine. Amid the novel coronavirus outbreaks, President Donald Trump touted hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Though clinical tests are underway, infectious disease experts say it’s too soon to confirm if the drug will be effective in treating the respiratory illness. 

For lupus patients taking the  medication, it’s a crucial part of their treatment. 

“It worked really well for me. I had little to no side effects. It really just gave me my life back,” Payne said. 

Payne relied on the drug for five years before entering remission temporarily. Though she no longer uses it, she says her friends and younger sister, who also has lupus, continue to take it. 

“My sister is trying to get her refill right now and her doctor is recommending a mail order service [instead of refilling at the local pharmacy],” she said. 

Payne says increased visibility of the medication has left many in the lupus community concerned there could be a shortage nationwide as hoarding remains an issue. 

“I would encourage lupus patients to stay calm, don’t panic. There is no need to go get this astronomical amount of medication,” said Payne. 

Recently state pharmacy boards in Texas, Ohio, Idaho and Nevada have taken steps to restrict who can be prescribed hydroxychloroquine and how much of the drug can be supplied.  

In Texas the state pharmacy board say no prescription or medication order for chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, mefloquine, or azithromycin may be dispensed or distributed unless all the following apply: 

  1. The prescription or medication order bears a written diagnosis from the prescriber consistent with the evidence for its use
  2. The prescription or medication order is limited to no more than a 14 day supply, unless the patient was previously established on the medication prior to the effective date of this rule
  3. No refills may be permitted unless a new prescription or medication order is furnished

Payne is hopeful more states and their pharmacy boards or government leaders will pass similar emergency restrictions soon. 

“Let’s trust that the right decisions are being made so that everyone can have the medications they need,” she said. 

For additional information and resources for lupus patients, Payne encourages staying connected with the Lupus Foundation of America.