Doctors who prescribe an anti-malarial drug being touted as a potential COVID-19 treatment will face a $13,000 fine due to new prescription rules.

The rules, brought into effect in Queensland on Tuesday, means that clinicians are banned from prescribing hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment.

Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug now used to treat anti-immune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is no solid evidence that the drug is effective against COVID-19, but Federal Health Minister said that there has been “some promising research so far”.

The new restrictions were brought in place after doctors began prescribing the drug to themselves and their families in February after early research suggested the drug might minimise the impact of COVID-19 and help patients recover faster.

Worldwide shortages of the drug were caused after US President Donald Trump tweeted about the potential of the drug last month.

However, under the new public health order, only some specialists are allowed to prescribe the drug and it must be for ongoing treatment of a chronic disease or as a part of a clinical trial.

The University of Queensland is on the verge of starting a large clinical trial involving 60 hospitals across Australia with hydroxychloroquine and another HIV medication.

"Prior to the clinical trials going ahead, the medications were given to some of the first patients in Australia infected with COVID-19, and all have completely recovered without any trace of the virus left in their system," he said.

"However, we know that most people with COVID-19 recover completely, thanks to their immune system, so random anecdotal experiences of some people need to be replaced by rigorous clinical trials."

The aim is to treat COVID-19 patients as soon as they were admitted to hospital.

"This will enable us to test the first wave of Australian patients and gain real-world experience with this treatment, especially since we expect ongoing infections to continue for many months," he said.

"If we can obtain the best possible information now, then we can quickly treat subsequent patients down the track."