HOUSTON — A Houston doctor who went viral after spreading unproven claims last year that the drug hydroxychloroquine could cure COVID-19 is facing "corrective action" from the Texas Medical Board.
Dr. Stella Immanuel, who is a controversial figure in the medical community, was given orders in a board decision made on Oct. 15.
The Texas Medical Board said Immanuel prescribed the drug to a COVID-19 patient without explaining the potential health consequences.
Multiple studies found no benefit to taking hydroxychloroquine in treating the coronavirus virus, but in some research, the medication was linked to greater risk of heart rhythm issues.
Immanuel must pay a $500 fine.
She has also been ordered to submit a copy of her informed consent document to the board's compliance division. She has to enact policies and procedures requiring all consent documents be reviewed and signed by the patient before treatment with off-label medication begins.
In the past, Immanuel has made bizarre medical claims, such as suggesting doctors use alien DNA to create some medicines and attributing some women's health issues to fantasies about sex with demons.