You undoubtedly have stories to tell about censorship on social media, or things you can’t say to people who aren’t close friends. I have similar stories, but I also have these:

• Soon after pandemic struck in 2020, I got email from California Medical Board and Pharmacy Board, sent to all physicians and pharmacists in state. Warned that “inappropriate” prescribing or dispensing of hydroxychloroquine is “unprofessional conduct,” for which we can lose our licenses. Did not specify what is “inappropriate,” but seems clear it meant using drug for Covid-19. Been licensed many years, never before told what I can or cannot prescribe for a disease.
• Spoke to California pharmacists. They said they would be reluctant to dispense hydroxycholoquine unless they knew the physician and knew that the patient did NOT have Covid-19. They added that they never before were worried about dispensing any drugs except controlled substances.
• Spoke to wholesale drug company in Midwest, asked about whether they have a problem shipping hydroxycholoquine to physicians. They didn’t know what I was talking about. California-style political correctness was foreign to them. They still lived in America.
• Just read that Federation of State Medical Boards is developing nationwide policy to punish physicians for spreading “misinformation.” Does this mean advocating ivermectin for Covid-19? Several studies show it reduces death rate. Does this mean mentioning side effects of vaccine, as required to obtain informed consent? They didn’t say, but we can guess.

Getting a post taken down from social media is annoying. But stifling the free interchange of ideas between scientists is fatal for science. And telling physicians and pharmacists what drugs they can and cannot use for specific diseases may be fatal for you.

I wish you good luck and good health. You’ll need them.

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