Oklahoma trying to return anti-malaria drug touted by Trump: report

The Oklahoma attorney general’s office is seeking to return $2 million worth of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria medication endorsed by former President Trump as an effective medication against COVID-19 despite little evidence to support that claim.

As The Frontier reports, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) made the purchase in April and defended his decision by arguing that even if hydroxychloroquine was not effective against the coronavirus, it still had several uses. He stated, “That money will not have gone to waste in any respect.”

However, the Sooner State is now attempting to return the medication to FFF Enterprises, the California-based pharmaceutical wholesaler that originally sold it.

The Hill has reached out to FFF Enterprises for a response.

Spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, Alex Gerszewski, told The Fronter that his office was attempting “to try to figure out a solution,” at the request of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The newspaper notes that 20 states ultimately bought hydroxychloroquine after Trump touted it as effective against COVID-19, though only Oklahoma and Utah bought it from private wholesalers.

Carly Atchison, spokesperson for Stitt, told The Frontier, “Every decision the Governor makes is with the health and lives of Oklahomans in mind, including purchasing hydroxychloroquine, securing [personal protective equipment] PPE, and now distributing vaccines as quickly and efficiently as possible to combat this COVID crisis.”

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, has repeatedly shot down claims that hydroxychloroquine was effective in treating the coronavirus. During a recent interview, Fauci said the pushback he received from the White House regarding the medication was one of the reasons why he tried to avoid confronting the president when he contradicted his incorrect claims.

Oklahoma has so far reported more than 380,000 coronavirus cases and over 3,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 328,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far.