Posted on 03/31/2020 1:55:22 PM PDT by mmichaels1970
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drew fire from some on the right after the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) sent a letter last week threatening "administrative action" against doctors who prescribed two experimental drugs that could potentially help coronavirus patients.
But the Whitmer administration has since removed the language threatening doctors from the letter and is now asking the federal government to send shipments of the drugs, Bridge magazine reports. The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for the antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate on Saturday.
Conservatives including Charlie Kirk and Rudy Guiliani accused Whitmer of risking lives to oppose President Donald Trump. In recent weeks, Whitmer and Trump have been sparring on national television over federal aid for Michigan, while Trump has touted the drugs' potential in treating COVID-19.
Apparently, Michigan's drug ban was all just a matter of miscommunication.
Days after LARA issued its first letter, The Detroit News published an op-ed that criticized the Whitmer administration’s prohibition of the drugs.
"Not only is our state’s top leader threatening the selfless health care workers who are on the frontline trying to save lives, but she’s denying possible life-saving medications to actual COVID-19 victims,” the op-ed said.
Some readers criticized the paper for irresponsibly advocating for untested drugs.
But Detroit News editor and publisher Gary Miles defended the column on Monday, pointing out that it revealed a miscommunication between the State Senate and the Governor.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, a Clarklake Republican, told The Detroit News that he asked the governor to issue the original letter to prevent people from hoarding the drugs and thus depriving non-coronavirus patients of their medicine.
"We needed something to prevent cloroquine from becoming the next toilet paper," he told Miles. "I quickly requested of her staff that they put something out, and somehow in the translation it was prohibiting use of these drugs — and that wasn't the intent."
Shirkey told Miles he "was grateful for your article ... because it was the first thing that alerted me that it was screwed up."
On Monday, Whitmer said in a press conference that the state wants to be "nimble" and is always updating its policies.
"We want to ensure that doctors have the ability to prescribe these medicines," she said. "We also want to make sure that the people who have prescriptions that predated COVID-19 have access to the medication they need. And so all of the work that we’ve done is trying to strike that balance."
In its approval letter, the FDA wrote that "[b]ased on the totality of scientific evidence available to FDA, it is reasonable to believe that chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate may be effective in treating COVID-19."
"When used under the conditions described in this authorization, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate when used to treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of such products," FDA Chief Scientist Denise M. Hinton wrote in the approval letter.
Whitmer also issued an executive order relaxing medical laws so personnel from out of state could help the state's overloaded hospitals treat coronavirus patients. The executive order also offers doctors additional protections for medical errors.
"If you're a health professional anywhere in America, Michigan needs you," Whitmer said in a video posted to her Twitter. "Detroit, Michigan needs you especially."
Sorry Gretch, you made your bed now die in it.
Sorry, too late, all out - go across the bridge and get some from Windsor.
How many died because of the Governor’s political biased stand?
Clueless Halfwit Whitmer, that’s governing with a finger in the air— congratulations!
Just another dumbass woman who thinks she is going to be Prez in 2024.
Heretofore refer to her as Gretchen HALF-Whitmer or Governor HALF-Whitmer.
L M A O
Tell the smart ass when she steps down as governor, the Feds will send the drugs
I’ll say this. Politics aside, I’m glad she’s changed course. It appears that she AND Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (Republican) messed this one up. And I’m good with laying waste to either or both of their political careers going forward.
But I AM glad that apparently our Michigan friends will now get access to Hydroxychloroquine.
And may they vote better next time.
Yes it was and magnified via the MSM and the internet..........
Look no further than liberal feminism to explain the irrational hamster-wheel logic.
Her poll numbers must have been tanking.
For the Dems it always about manipulating the public. This one blew up on her and now she’s trying to cover.
the misleadia will help her.
Occasionally (not always) the camera captures EVIL...the psychopath’s coldness...the no compassion face. When that slips by go to the words (lies). When both slip by go to the deeds. Sometimes they all slip by and YOU’RE raped or dead.
Wretched Whitless is the most EVIL governor in this state’s history (that was quick)
This is The Benny Hill Apocalypse.
I can hear the theme song playing.
Half Whitmer also banned taking pets to the Vet! She is a clueless moron.
It’s time for her to GTF out of Michigan.
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