Talk to a Doctor Before Taking Hydroxychloroquine, Trump Spokeswoman Says

(Bloomberg) -- Americans should speak with their doctors before taking hydroxychloroquine in an attempt to ward off the coronavirus, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.

McEnany spoke to reporters Tuesday at the White House after President Donald Trump announced he was taking the anti-malaria drug, which has not been proven to be beneficial against the virus and which carries a risk of poisoning. Trump’s doctor said he and the president had both concluded that the “potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.”

McEnany said she spoke Tuesday morning with Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, about hydroxychloroquine. The FDA has warned against using the drug outside of hospitals or trials.

“He told me that it has a good safety profile but should always be prescribed in the context of a doctor prescribing it to their patient, so that is ultimately how the decision should be made,” McEnany said. “It’s ultimately how President Trump made his decision.”

Earlier Tuesday, McEnany told Fox News that Trump made the announcement on Monday out of a desire to be transparent.

“The president just wanted to be transparent about his personal health decision that he made in consultation with his doctor,” she told the network. “Let me emphasize strongly that any use of hydroxychloroquine has to be in consultation with your doctor. You have to have a prescription. That’s the way it must be done.”

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