Advisories Issued by FDA, CDC, AMA and Others Against Use of Ivermectin to Treat COVID-19

By: Kathie McDonald-McClure

Earlier this year, the FDA warned consumers against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.  Last week, due to an alarming increase in the number of calls to poison control centers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Advisory warning against the use of ivermectin. The CDC Health Advisory contains recent poison control data followed by recommendations for clinicians and public health practitioners on education and advice for their patients.  

Despite the FDA and CDC advisories, healthcare providers are reportedly still receiving multiple requests from patients and families to prescribe and administer ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.  A few family members have sought a court order to force hospital administration to administer ivermectin to patients. 

In response, on September 1, 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) issued a Joint Statement to “strongly oppose the ordering, prescribing, or dispensing of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial.” The Joint Statement went on to call for “an immediate end to the prescribing, dispensing, and use of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial.” In addition, the organizations urged physicians, pharmacists, and other prescribers to warn patients against the use of ivermectin outside of FDA-approved indications and guidance. The Joint Statement contains additional information to help support healthcare professionals in addressing this issue with their patients and in their communities.

Healthcare professionals who face patient and family demands for treatments that are against the weight of medical advice should consider seeking legal counsel to navigate the liability risks, credentialing, licensing, litigation and other legal issues that may arise.  

Kathie McDonald-McClure

Kathie McDonald-McClure leads the Firm’s Data Privacy & Cyber Security practice and is a member of the Health Care Service Team. Her longtime passion for and attention to technology-related matters has given her a leg-up in assisting clients with regard to data privacy and cyber security. She regularly advises businesses and business managers on compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA, GDPR, and state data privacy and breach reporting laws. Because data privacy has become so interconnected with... Read More