Since Hydroxychloroquine (HcQ) has been regularly mentioned in media as a potential medication in the fight against COVID, the number of patients highlighting unavailability issues increased substantially. With the help of its members, LUPUS EUROPE initiated a survey amongst patients to obtain broad based feedback on the magnitude and impact of the issue. Results covering the purchase period of march  and beginning April are now available. 

2024 valid answers were received from 28 European countries thanks to a translation of the survey in 11 European languages. 

  • Overall immediate availability of HcQ when asked in the usual pharmacy has reduced from 65% at the beginning of March to 51% end March and 44% early April. 59.4% of respondents have been able to obtain Hydroxychloroquine on the day of request, 18.9% with a delay not exceeding 3 days and a further 12.1% have experienced (or are at the day of the survey reaching) a delay of more than 3 but less than 7 days. 
  • 6.7% of all patients have experienced a delay of 2 weeks or more or are still without HcQ more than 2 weeks after ordering. This extended unavailability significantly varies by country, with Poland highest at 27% followed by Spain (11%). Finland, Germany, Denmark and Slovakia have the lowest unavailability rates (0-4%). 
  • These results exclude Bulgaria, where there was already little or no access to HcQ for lupus patient, even before Covid. This is a major access to care issue in the EU landscape.
  • With regards to the anxiety of potentially not being able to have access to Hydroxychloroquine, 36.4% reported high or very high anxiety (7 to 9 on a scale of 10), and another 20.8% extremely high anxiety (10 on 10). 

More detailed results are available here, together with specific recommendations for action.

LUPUS EUROPE and several of its members have raised, and keep raising the issue with manufacturers and authorities. Solutions have been put in place in several countries, including increased control (or governmental control) on distribution, restricting off label use to hospitals, and establishing an alternate channel to make HcQ available for pharmacies directly based on a prescription for “On label” (like lupus), use. The objective is that, all patients with a chronic condition requiring HcQ get it, if not immediately, at least within 3 days of ordering. Our intention is to re-run the survey in a month’ time to evaluate progress towards that goal.

Guidelines for patients concerned with Hydroxychloroquine availability are available here .

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12 hours ago
LUPUS EUROPE

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Thank you Martijn, for your question! We will ensure your question is raised 🙂

Thank you for following this joint Lupus Europe / ERN ReCONNET webinar! If you have any questions for the speakers, please post them here and we will ensure they are raised! 😃

Hi from Corfu thank you for this it was really helpful!!!

I am curious about diet and microbiome as well. I think the topic is very much understudied and not good understood - but has great influence.

There are huge differences!

Are there possibility’s with food to have remission

There were only young people for the treatment with Car-T cells In am nog young any more. Is ther hope for me?

Only on my phone de zoom started. I do not know why

Metty Staal volgt

What is there to expect the coming years. I mean mean in treatments?

Thank you very much professor Arnoud

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13 hours ago
LUPUS EUROPE

Our joint webinar with ERN RECONNET is also going on Facebook Live!

If you have not been able to register, go to our Facebook Page and enjoy "#EULAR2023 Debrief–for people living with #lupus".

1 hour to go! 😃

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Our joint webinar with ERN RECONNET  is also going on Facebook Live! 

If you have not been able to register, go to our Facebook Page and enjoy #EULAR2023 Debrief–for people living with #lupus.

1 hour to go! 😃

https://www.facebook.com/LupusEurope
21 hours ago
LUPUS EUROPE

🚨Don't miss our webinar today🚨

Along with ERN RECONNET, we have organised this "#EULAR2023 Debrief–for people living with #lupus" webinar with speakers Prof. Laurent Arnaud and our Chair, Jeanette Andersen.

Today at 19.30 CEST (i.e. Paris time).

Register by sending an email to secretariat@lupus-europe.org now!

This is the link to the webinar: us02web.zoom.us/postattendee?mn=M427EvtnmvHdk0JAHWvzvFfSLI8DNl0Dwz8Q.UQk33isEc4kWzlqy

𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.

Registration is compulsory.
... See MoreSee Less

🚨Dont miss our webinar today🚨

Along with ERN RECONNET, we have organised this #EULAR2023 Debrief–for people living with #lupus webinar with speakers Prof. Laurent Arnaud and our Chair, Jeanette Andersen.

Today at 19.30 CEST (i.e. Paris time).
  
Register by sending an email to secretariat@lupus-europe.org now! 

This is the link to the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/postattendee?mn=M427EvtnmvHdk0JAHWvzvFfSLI8DNl0Dwz8Q.UQk33isEc4kWzlqy

𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.

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Not succeeding to send an email for registration. I would like to participate. Thanks

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1 day ago
LUPUS EUROPE

One of our PAN members explains to the Italian lupus community what is #Lupus100 and what it can offer: high-quality and reliable information about #lupus in a patient-friendly language!

At the moment, available in 🇬🇧 🇩🇰 🇩🇪 🇪🇸 🇬🇷 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇳🇱 🇷🇴 🇫🇮 🇺🇦.

More languages to come soon! Stay tuned, and don't miss it!

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Grazie

💜💜💜

LUPUS EUROPE Uniting people with Lupus throughout Europe
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