Plaquenil Dosage

Generic name: hydroxychloroquine
Drug classes: Antimalarial quinolines, Antirheumatics

Medically reviewed by  A Ras MD.

Recommended Adult Dosing

Dosage forms:  TAB: 200 mg

Malaria prophylaxis

[400 mg PO qwk]

Start: 1-2wk before exposure; Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab; D/C 4wk after exposure; see CDC Pre-Travel Malaria Prophylaxis recommendations in Guidelines > Specialties > Infectious Diseases

Malaria tx

[800 mg PO x1, then 400 mg PO x1 at 6h, 24h, and 48h]

Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab; to avoid relapse in acute P. vivax or P. ovale infection, follow up tx w/ primaquine or tafenoquine; refer to CDC guidelines

SLE

[200 mg PO qd or 400 mg/day PO divided qd-bid]

Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab

Rheumatoid arthritis

[200 mg PO qd or 400 mg/day PO divided qd-bid]

Start: 400-600 mg/day PO divided qd-bid x4-12wk; Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab

COVID-19

[EUA revoked in US]

Info: revoked June 15, 2020; no evidence of benefit for mortality or other outcomes and ongoing reports of serious cardiac adverse events; search ‘COVID’ for additional resources including guidelines, published study summaries, and clinical trial updates

Renal dosing

renal impairment: consider decr. usual dose

HD/PD: not defined

Hepatic dosing

hepatic impairment: consider decr. usual dose

Recommended Peds Dosing

Dosage forms:  TAB: 200 mg

Malaria prophylaxis

[infants/children, >31 kg]

Dose: 6.5 mg/kg/dose PO qwk; Start: 1-2wk before exposure; Max: 400 mg/dose; Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab; D/C 4wk after exposure; see CDC Pre-Travel Malaria Prophylaxis recommendations in Guidelines > Specialties > Infectious Diseases

Malaria tx

[infants/children, >31 kg]

Dose: 13 mg/kg/dose PO x1, then 6.5 mg/kg/dose PO x1 at 6h, 24h, and 48h; Max: 800 mg for initial dose, 400 mg for subsequent doses; Info: give w/ food or milk; do not cut/crush/chew tab; to avoid relapse in acute P. vivax or P. ovale infection, follow up tx w/ primaquine or tafenoquine; refer to CDC guidelines

COVID-19

[EUA revoked in US]

Info: revoked June 15, 2020; no evidence of benefit for mortality or other outcomes and ongoing reports of serious cardiac adverse events; search ‘COVID’ for additional resources including guidelines, published study summaries, and clinical trial updates

Renal dosing

renal impairment: consider decr. usual dose

HD/PD: not defined

Hepatic dosing

hepatic impairment: consider decr. usual dose

SRC: NLM .