Florida ordered 1M doses of a Trump-touted drug. Hospitals didn't want it

[Tsuyu]

TALLAHASSEE — Florida is sitting on more than 980,000 unused doses of hydroxychloroquine, a drug President Donald Trump touted as a "game changer" in the fight against the coronavirus, after only a handful of hospitals in the state asked for access to the medicine.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said in April that the state was getting 1 million doses of the drug. The announcement was made during a press conference that came across as a commercial for hydroxychloroquine.

Florida ordered 1M doses of a Trump-touted drug. Hospitals didn't want it

State is sitting on more than 980K doses of hydroxychloroquine.

www.politico.com

Despite the governor's pitch, few hospitals have requested the drug, which was provided free-of-charge from Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals in a deal DeSantis said was facilitated by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

Only 16,100 doses have been shipped to six hospitals as of Thursday, according to state records provided to POLITICO. The biggest batch — 7,500 — went to Baptist health in Duval County. The rest went to hospitals owned by Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth.

 

[El Bombastico]

Imagine how many masks and ventilators that money could've bought...

Edit: So it was free, nevermind...

 

[sir_crocodile]

not surprised, all the studies so far say it either does nothing or makes things worse

 

[sir_crocodile]

Imagine how many masks and ventilators that money could've bought...

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zero since the medicine was provided free of charge

 

[808s & Villainy]

Tax money put to good use. You gotta love it

 

[entremet]

This guy is a complete Trump sycophant, damn.

 

[Spine Crawler]

Imagine how many masks and ventilators that money could've bought...

Edit: So it was free, nevermind...

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trump said the usa is the best in terms of ventilators

 

[Nassudan]

Red state politicians continuing to show what the definition of incompetence is at the detriment of everyone in their constituency.

 

[BassForever]

zero since the medicine was provided free of charge

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Tax payers still paid for the salaries of all the people involved in making this stupid deal happened

 

[Transistor]

Ok, what's the catch? Why would a foreign pharmaceutical company give a million units of a drug away for free.


What deal was brokered?

 

[El Bombastico]

trump said the usa is the best in terms of ventilators

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Is that before or after we give ourselves a bleach enema?

 

[AliceAmber]

Sighs in Floridian

 

[DiipuSurotu]

which was provided free-of-charge from Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals

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Suuuuure

 

[theSoularian]

It's really really fucked up how these people listen to Trump rather than the advice medical experts and scientists.

 

[Spine Crawler]

Is that before or after we give ourselves a bleach enema?

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i cant keep up anymore. i think it was after that. he said like the entire world is jealous how well the US is dealing with the situation. I kinda doubt it but hey what do I know.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Yet people who actually need this drug are still struggling to get it, right?

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Hospitals actually believe in science and facts.

 

[I Don't Like]

We better hear about Florida giving it for free to people who actually need it.

 

[Clefargle]

zero since the medicine was provided free of charge

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ah so socialized medicine?

 

[Squarehard]

Suuuuure

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This was my thought too.

 

[Psychotext]

Suuuuure

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Indeed... "free".

Something was exchanged, or will be exchanged down the line.

 

[Xia]

For free? Why the hell would they get that for free? Sounds like bullshit.

 

[Protein]

This just means we clearly have a systemic lupus erythematosus crisis on top of a pneumonia crisis in Florida. When is the media gonna report that?!

 

[Deleted member 2802]

Sent a shitload to Brazil too

 

[Christian]

Probably had something to do with gaming stock prices.

 

[MIMIC]

Just dump it all at the White House.

 

[Deleted member 4367]

I was born at the hospital that actually bought some! Hooray!

 

[Tempy]

Better give it to people who actually need it and not experiment with it on people with Covid19.

 

[Zombegoast]

This guy is a complete Trump sycophant, damn.

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I honestly DeSantis is Turmp's illegitimate son

 

[MonoStable]

I mean if they're giving em out for free why not take it. He should just distribute to other states for people that need it for other illnesses.

 

[entremet]

I honestly DeSantis is Turmp's illegitimate son

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I just remember him waiting for Trump before doing anything when this stuff started, while all the other Governors, GOP ones included had forceful action.

 

[Garlador]

Might as well request 1m doses of Oreos and Laughy Taffy. Might actually even be better for you.

 

[Heart of Poumn]

I just remember him waiting for Trump before doing anything when this stuff started, while all the other Governors, GOP ones included had forceful action.

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Waiting for Trump is all he is capable of doing. His whole campaign was pretty much being a Trump bootlicker.

 

[metalslimer]

I would hope this would go towards people with autoimmune diseases that need it for reduced costs but I doubt it

 

[oakenhild]

Related: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/politics/teva-antitrust-hydroxychloroquine-settlement.html

Antitrust, and this drug costing Teva almost nothing. It's all about becoming buddies with this administration. Makes those pesky antitrust issues go away.

 

[Fuzzy]

Isn't the drug also used for treating Arthritis? Not like there's a whole lot of Malaria in Florida so use it for that.

 

[Malleymal]

Trump desperately wanted this drug to work and make sure that Florida and other red states were stocked and ready to go, while other blue states fought for smaller stockpiles of it.

 

[painey]

For free? Why the hell would they get that for free? Sounds like bullshit.

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same reason a drug dealer gives you a good deal your first time. Coz when you need more you come back to that person.

 

[MinusTydus]

For free? Why the hell would they get that for free? Sounds like bullshit.

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I mean, it doesn't cure or treat shit related to COVID-19, so who the hell would pay for it?

 

[smurfx]

why not accept it and give it to people who genuinely need that drug? not talking corona virus but whatever that drug was originally meant to treat.

 

[Deleted member 31104]

Isn't the drug also used for treating Arthritis? Not like there's a whole lot of Malaria in Florida so use it for that.

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And lupus, it has a reasonably long shelf life if refrigerated so I'd be surprised if hospitals couldn't use it

 

[AaronD]

And lupus, it has a reasonably long shelf life if refrigerated so I'd be surprised if hospitals couldn't use it

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Hospitals don't have that kind of storage capacity for drugs they hardly ever use.

 

[99nikniht]

Imagine how many masks and ventilators that money could've bought...

Edit: So it was free, nevermind...

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I want to say that nothing is truly free. There has to be a hook on why an Isreal pharm company is willing to just give away 1M pills like that.

 

[Wag]

I'm sure all those people in other states who need it to treat their Lupus appreciate it.

 

[sfedai0]

I promise you Teva has sent a nice kickback check to an offshore account in the name of Ronald Gump. All joking aside, there is so much under the counter shadiness going on, its disgusting.

 

[Charpunk]

DeSantis continues to be a clueless brown nose assclown.