Ivermectin would be available without prescription from North Carolina pharmacists under a bill moving quickly through the state House.
The drug is FDA-approved for use to treat parasitic infections and skin conditions. It is also used to treat parasitic infections in animals. Ivermectin for humans is now available only by prescription.
The drug became more widely used during the pandemic as an alternative to COVID-19 vaccines, and some claimed it helped prevent COVID infections.
Though some small, early studies suggested ivermectin could be an effective COVID treatment, larger clinical trials found that it does not help.
State legislatures this year are interested in allowing greater access to the drug.
Rep. Jonathan Almond (R-Cabarrus), House Bill 618’s lead sponsor, said 14 states are considering similar bills. At least three states, Idaho, Tennessee, and Arkansas, have laws allowing purchases without prescriptions.
Tennessee has had its law since 2022. Governors in Idaho and Arkansas signed ivermectin laws this year.
The renewed interest is fueled by right-wing influencers, the New York Times reported.
Though North Carolina buyers would not need ivermectin prescriptions, they would need to ask pharmacists for it.
“It’s about access,” Almond said. Costs to obtain ivermectin would be lower because people would not need to see a doctor for a prescription, he said.
Allowing over-the-counter ivermectin purchases would be a sharp departure from the state’s position during the pandemic. The former state health director sent a letter to doctors in 2021 cautioning them about prescribing ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID.
Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) questioned whether using ivermectin with a prescription is safe. Studies show “that there can be severe side effects using this drug without a prescription or doctor’s oversight,” she said.
The FDA warns that taking ivermectin in large doses can be dangerous, and even at approved doses it can interact with other medications.
During the pandemic, poison control centers reported spikes in calls for ivermectin overdoses, NPR reported. People boasted of purchasing ivermectin meant for animals from tractor supply stores.
Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) read a list of side effects, and suggested ivermectin’s side effects were not as severe as those for aspirin.
“There are a lot of people who take ivermectin,” he said. “I can tell you that I know a number of people personally who took ivermectin during COVID. And they got immediate relief as a result of taking ivermectin.”
The bill had enough votes to move out of the House Judiciary 3 and House Rules Committees on Tuesday on its way to the House floor.
Three speakers told the Judiciary Committee ivermectin improved their health. It would be safer for people to buy it at pharmacies rather than from overseas suppliers or animal feed stores, they said.
Kathy Page of Alamance County said ivermectin helped her recover from serious illnesses. She has taken ivermectin prescribed by a holistic doctor for about a year, she said, and imagines she may continue for the rest of her life.
Purchases from the pharmacy are safer than buying ivermectin meant for animals and having to figure out the human dosage, she told the committee.
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