Use of Emerging and Off-Label Treatments
COVID-19 prevention and treatments prescribed under the guidance of a licensed health care practitioner can save lives and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Floridians. When recommending COVID-19 treatment options for patients’ individualized health care needs, physicians should exercise their individual clinical judgment and expertise based on their patients’ needs and preferences.
These options may include emerging treatments backed by quality evidence, with appropriate patient informed consent, including off-label use or as part of a clinical trial. For example:
We are committed to protecting the comprehensive practice of health care in an environment where treatments continue to evolve, and expect Florida’s health care providers to stay apprised of the 
availability of COVID-19 treatment options, including:
As guidance continues to evolve, health care practitioners should sustain and maintain in-depth awareness of the data surrounding COVID-19 treatment options. Some treatments should be closely evaluated before administration for both indication and timing, such as Remdesivir in hospital settings (which recently received FDA approval for out-patient COVID-19 treatment), and lopinavir/ritonavir.
It is the responsibility of health care practitioners to be informed of evolving and emerging patient care options for COVID-19 in order to assess the risks and benefits for individual patients that oftentimes vary on a patient-by-patient basis.
Reporting Noncompliant and Unlicensed Facilities
It is essential to support health care providers at the forefront of health care delivery to our most vulnerable populations, especially our seniors. If you are a health care practitioner who is aware of a hospital that is preventing licensed health care providers from using evidence-based care and exercising clinical judgment in treating patients, please report those instances to the Agency for Health Care Administration.
