Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Dosing Calculator
Calculates maximum daily dose of hydroxychloroquine to reduce of retinopathy.
- Note: Neither hydroxychloroquine NOR chloroquine are FDA approved to treat COVID-19. (Coronavirus Disease 2019).
- Short-term use of Plaquenil carries no or minimal risk for retinopathy. See the American Journal of Ophthalmology for more information.
This calculator is for double-checking hydroxychloroquine dosing and should NOT be used as the primary means for ordering.
Management
- Doses should be adjusted in conjunction with the prescribing physician to minimize the risk of vision loss and to ensure that the medical risks of medication adjustment are managed.
- Recommended screening consists of automated visual fields (appropriate to race) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
- Other objective testing, such as a multifocal electroretinogram or fundus autofluorescence, should be performed as needed, if available.
- Ophthalmoscopy is not a recommended screening tool because photoreceptor damage can be detected by the above techniques before it becomes clinically visible.
Critical Actions
If a patient is on a dose that exceeds 5 mg/kg/day of actual body weight, the prescribing physician should be contacted to ensure that the dose can be adjusted and medical risks are managed.