- A Utah House committee halted a bill allowing over-the-counter ivermectin sales.
- The FDA warns against using ivermectin for COVID-19, citing lack of effectiveness and potential harm.
- Proponents argue for personal choice in medication purchases.
SALT LAKE CITY — A House committee put the brakes on a bill that would have allowed pharmacies to sell ivermectin to patients without a prescription.
HB96, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, failed to advance out of the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday in a 5-7 vote. Multiple Republicans and Democrats joined together to oppose it.
The drug is widely used to treat livestock and can be prescribed to treat parasitic worms in humans. It gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic from some who claimed it could treat the disease — even as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against using it for that.
"The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals," the agency's website states. "The FDA has determined that currently available clinical trial data do not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID 19 in humans."
The agency adds that ivermectin can be dangerous in large doses.
During Monday's committee hearing, Lee argued pharmacies should have the option to sell over-the-counter ivermectin if they want. Rep. Raymond Ward, R-Bountiful, a physician, asked Lee why ivermectin should not follow the established process in the United States to determine if it should be sold over the counter.
"People are looking to alternative forms of medications and things that they can take for some of their issues," Lee responded, noting the increased demand for ivermectin during the pandemic. "I think it comes down to choice, and we as a state are looking at these different choices. This is one of them that we are looking at currently right now."
Lee insisted there is "plenty of data" to support the use of ivermectin, which he said has been around for a long time and is in "a lot of different countries."
A handful of other states, including Arkansas, Idaho and Tennessee, have passed similar laws making ivermectin available without a prescription, according to CNN.
Michelle McOmber, CEO of the Utah Medical Association, spoke against Lee's proposal, warning that ivermectin overdoses can cause serious health issues, including nausea, diarrhea, coma and even death.
"Ivermectin has a role in treatment of specific parasitic diseases, but using it without guidance can harm the people who take it," she said.
Several others spoke in favor of the bill, arguing that Utahns should have the right to decide whether they purchase ivermectin.
"It is all about self-determination for our own personal health care, making those decisions for ourselves," said Dalane England, who works at the Utah Eagle Forum. "The only reason to oppose this is to keep the control of it and the cost."
