Utah House committee nixes attempt for OTC sale of ivermectin
A bill that would have made the controversial drug ivermectin readily available without an individual prescription failed to make it out of committee at the Utah Legislature’s general session. The bill failed in the House Health and Human Services Committee by a 7-5 vote. The committee’s three Democrats joined four Republicans in voting against it. Those opposed included Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, the committee’s chair and a registered nurse.
Ivermectin is a drug commonly used to treat parasites in livestock but is being touted by some conservatives as an alternate treatment for COVID-19. Some doctors have prescribed the drug in limited doses for human treatment of parasitic worms and conditions such as head lice and rosacea. A handful of U.S. states have passed legislation allowing for the sale and purchase of ivermectin over the counter for human use without a prescription.
Utah’s bill, sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, was widely opposed by groups such as the Utah Medical Association and the Utah Nurses Association.
“Ivermectin has a role in treatment of specific parasitic diseases, but using it without guidance can harm the people who take it,” said Utah Medical Association CEO Michelle McOmber during the committee’s hearing on the bill.
Lee told digital news site Axios that his bill promoted medical freedom and was in line with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. He likened ivermectin to common painkillers like Advil or Tylenol, despite the drug’s known side effects, which range from difficulty moving to trouble breathing and unusual bleeding in rare cases.