AAPS thanks Gov. Doug Ducey for signing SB 1416, sponsored by Sen. Nancy Barto, into law to help protect patient access to treatment during a pandemic.
AAPS too often hears concerns from physicians in Arizona, and across the U.S., about the potential for facing medical board discipline for helping COVID patients using off-label medications. In fact in a national survey sent to our members last summer, over 40 percent said they had received a communication from their medical board dissuading them from prescribing on an off-label basis for COVID-19 patients.
There is an increasing body of research that supports the risk stratified prescribing of combinations of certain off-label drugs for COVID-19.
The reasonable protections provided in SB 1416 will help increase the willingness of physicians to consider prescribing these medications to patients who might benefit from this care, especially during a pandemic.
