Tennessee bill allows ivermectin prescriptions while preventing medical liability

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Tennessee bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is on the way to Gov. Lee's desk would allow pharmacists to prescribe ivermectin to patients while protecting a pharmacist or doctor from being liable for the prescription.

HB2746/SB2188 is sponsored by Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet-D57) and Senator Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains-D8) in their respective chambers. An original version of the bill allowed for the over-the-counter use of the anti-parasitic drug which became the center of debate during the pandemic as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

An amended version of the bill which passed in the State Senate and now moves to the House changes the legislation to allow prescriptions for adults at least 18-years-old. The bill states it "Allows a pharmacist to provide ivermectin to a patient who is at least 18 years old pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement containing a non-patient-specific prescriptive order, developed and executed by one or more authorized prescribers."

The proposed law also calls on the Board of Pharmacy to establish risk assessment screening and a fact sheet for pharmacies. It also protects those dispensing the drug, the amendment stating "a pharmacist or prescriber acting in good faith is immune from disciplinary actions or civil liability."

The National Institutes of Health says there is insufficient evidence to recommend use of ivermectin or to rule it out as a COVID-19 treatment due to a lack of adequate studies on the drug as a treatment and its effects. The NIH states "Some clinical studies showed no benefits or worsening of disease after ivermectin use, whereas others reported shorter time to resolution of disease manifestations that were attributed to COVID-19, greater reduction in inflammatory marker levels, shorter time to viral clearance, or lower mortality rates in patients who received ivermectin than in patients who received comparator drugs or placebo. However, most of these studies had incomplete information and significant methodological limitations, which make it difficult to exclude common causes of bias."

The NIH lists possible side-effects of taking the drug and adds there are currently clinical trials evaluating its use underway or in development.