POLITICS + GOVERNMENT

State of Utah receives refund of the $800 thousand purchase of hydroxychloroquine

Apr 29, 2020, 5:56 PM | Updated: 6:25 pm

Utah receives refund on hydroxychloroquine purchase...

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert announced on Wednesday that the state has received a refund of $800,000 it spent on a compounded version of hydroxychloroquine, which has been touted by some as a possible treatment for COVID-19 coronavirus. (Image credit: Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

BY SIMONE SEIKALY
Digital Content Producer

SALT LAKE CITY — A purchase by the state of Utah of compounded chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from a Utah company has been refunded in full.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said in a statement released Wednesday that a state supply of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine is “no longer prudent.”

“In light of these circumstances, we are grateful that the vendor, Meds in MOtion, accepted our request to refund the $800,000 expended by the state,” the Gov. said in a statement.

“These funds were received by the state earlier this afternoon.”

Meds in Motion, the pharmacy from which Utah purchased the drugs, will donate the medication to charities that can use it immediately, the Governor said.

In the statement, Gov. Herbert defended the purchase of the drugs, saying that a desire to protect hospital resources from being overwhelmed was part of the decision-making process.

“Although reports of efficacy were mixed,” the governor said, “top medical specialists in the state — before this issue became politicized — urged state officials to look seriously at chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as effective treatment options.”

KSL Newsradio previously reported that hydroxychloroquine had been a hot topic ever since President Trump mentioned it as an option to possibly treat the effects of COVID-19 coronavirus.

Since the president’s endorsement, states all over the country purchased more than 30 million doses of it.

Gov. Herbert used the purchase of hydroxychloroquine as an example of how the Division of State Purchasing and General Services (State Purchasing) functions in a crisis situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the state response to the pandemic.

He noted that the global fracturing of supply chains lead State Purchasing to “implement emergency procurement protocols.” With such protocols in place, “the normal bid process is not required for purchases needed to address the pandemic.”

Nevertheless, he said State Purchasing was still required to exercise caution and justify their actions. The governor said their review found State Purchasing adapted rapidly and “exercised judgement in balancing expediency, cost and quality.”

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