LETTER: Gov. Steve Sisolak’s drug order comes at request of health professionals

Victor Joecks’ Friday commentary (“Gov. Sisolak plays doctor with drug edict”) spun right so hard I’m still seeing stars. Mr. Joecks is referring to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s emergency regulation to prohibit nonhospital doctors from prescribing hydroxychloroquine. If you think clearly about the governor’s order, hospitalized patients can have the drug. The restriction is on prescriptions for outpatients suspected of having COVID-19.

As Mr. Joecks mentioned, the rule is designed to prevent hoarding to make sure that patients, such as my sister, who need hydroxychloroquine for FDA-approved purposes (lupus and malaria) don’t run out. However, Mr. Joecks failed to mention that the regulation comes at the request of the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy.

Mr. Joecks wouldn’t ever want to suggest that some government representatives actually pay heed to the authorities offering assistance during these unprecedented times. So here we are: Nevada took a stand, Ted Cruz tweeted that Gov. Sisolak is “practicing medicine without a license — trying to score political points against Trump” and Mr. Joecks ran with it. I say Republicans — as usual — are having trouble distinguishing between politics and what’s best for the people they represent.