Committee hears divided testimony on bill to let pharmacists dispense ivermectin without a prescription

Representative Stan Schauffner introduced House Bill 25 to the House Committee on Public Health as a measure to allow licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescriber's prescription. "Ivermectin is a safe, affordable, FDA approved medicine with minimal side effects," Schauffner said in opening remarks, describing the bill as a medical‑freedom and access measure.

What supporters said

Proponents told the committee that ivermectin has decades of use worldwide and that politicization during the COVID‑19 pandemic shut off access to a low‑cost drug they said was being used off‑label by some clinicians. Travis McCormick of Make Texans Healthy Again told lawmakers that allowing pharmacists to dispense human‑grade ivermectin would reduce dangerous sourcing of veterinary or foreign products and increase access for rural residents. "This bill provides a safer alternative, allowing pharmacists to dispense ivermectin, so that Texans get human grade medicine with clear instructions and a brief consultation," he said.

Nina Miller, who said she received ivermectin through an Austin clinic during the Delta wave and recovered quickly, described a long safety record and argued that American patients were forced to buy products offshore when local pharmacists declined to dispense. "When citizens are forced to buy ivermectin abroad, American dollars are siphoned out of the economy," she said.

What physicians and public‑health witnesses said

The Texas Medical Association opposed the bill. "One of the most important acts of a physician is prescribing a medication," said Dr. Zeke Silva of the Texas Medical Association. He told the committee that a prescribing decision requires diagnosis and an assessment of medical history,…