Abstract:
Introduction: The evidence suggesting the possible use of Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin and
Azithromycin in the management of COVID-19 is still inconclusive. Objective: This is an interrupted
time series ecological study where a temporal analysis of the consumption of hydroxychloroquine,
ivermectin and azithromycin in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods in the São Lourenço do Oeste/
Santa Catarina, was performed, a Brazilian city. Material and Methods: Data were collected monthly
from January 2018 to March 2021 directly from pharmacies/drug stores for medications, and from April
2020 to March 2021 for COVID-19. The temporal analysis was performed using the Prain-Winsten test.
Associations between variables (drugs and COVID-19 data) were made by Spearman’s correlation
test. Results: The supply of ivermectin (coeffi cient, 7.71 p=0.005) and hydroxychloroquine increased
(coeffi cient 26.84, p=0.021) in the pandemic; and azithromycin remained stable (p≥ 0.05). There was a
positive correlation between new cases of COVID-19 and the supply of azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine
and ivermectin (Spearman rho 0.857, 0.760 and 0.741 p<0.01, respectively) and a positive correlation
between deaths with azithromycin (Spearman rho 0.690, p<0.01) and hydroxychloroquine (Spearman
rho 0.617, p<0.05). Conclusions: According to our data, it is possible to infer that the increased supply
of ivermectin, azithromycin or hydroxychloroquine was not able to reduce new cases or deaths by
COVID-19, showing no eff ectiveness as prophylaxis of this disease.
