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State Affairs committee advances bill to allow over-the-counter sales of ivermectin
Summary
The Idaho House State Affairs Committee voted to send Senate Bill 12 11 to the floor after Representative Jordan Redmond described the measure as expanding access to FDA‑approved ivermectin formulations and empowering pharmacists to counsel patients.
At a State Affairs Committee meeting, lawmakers voted to send Senate Bill 12 11 to the House floor; the bill would allow certain human-grade formulations of the drug ivermectin to be sold over the counter. Representative Jordan Redmond, R., of District 3 in Kootenai County, presented the measure and asked the committee for a due-pass recommendation.
Redmond, who declared a Rule 80 conflict because he owns retail pharmacies, told the committee that "ivermectin has been FDA approved for decades with a long track record of being safe" for parasitic infections and said the World Health Organization once called it a "wonder drug" for its effectiveness. He said the bill would increase access in rural and underserved areas where primary care appointments can be difficult to obtain, and that local pharmacists would continue to provide dosing guidance and counseling.
"This bill does not diminish medical oversight. It actually strengthens the role of local pharmacies as frontline health care providers," Redmond said. He also stated the bill recently passed the Senate with 25 votes and described concerns about people ordering veterinary formulations online as a rationale for an over-the-counter option.
Committee members asked technical and regulatory questions. A member asked what percentage of active ivermectin is typically in available products; Redmond said he was not a pharmacist and did not know the exact compound makeup and offered to research that question. Another member noted that some livestock products list 1.87% active ingredient; Redmond said most human applications would be oral formulations with milligram dosing based on patient weight. A committee member asked whether other states allow over-the-counter ivermectin; Redmond said Arkansas and Tennessee do and that similar legislation exists in multiple other states.
No members of the public testified on the bill during the hearing. Representative Alfieri moved to send Senate Bill 12 11 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded. The committee then approved minutes for meetings on April 1 and April 2 after a separate motion to approve the minutes.
The bill will proceed to the full House for further consideration. The committee chair closed the session and advised members to remain on standby in case additional business arrived before adjournment.
