Committee backs committee substitute for bill to allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin with conditions

A committee substitute for Senate Bill 614 that would allow licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription under defined conditions was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and a first referral to the Judiciary Committee.

The committee’s counsel explained that the proposed bill "authorizes the over the counter sale of ivermectin by a licensed pharmacist to a patient without a prescription," and that a pharmacist would be required to provide the patient with the FDA‑approved ivermectin fact sheet. The counsel also said the bill provides "criminal, civil, and professional disciplinary protections for pharmacists who dispense ivermectin in accordance with this section." The counsel added the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy may adopt rules to implement the provision and that the committee substitute allows dispensing pursuant to a valid collaborative pharmacy practice agreement that contains a non‑patient‑specific prescriptive order and standardized procedures developed by prescribers. The counsel said the bill’s effective date is 90 days and that there is no fiscal note.

Members asked medical and safety questions during debate. A speaker identified in the record as a medical commenter warned that ivermectin "can prolong your heart rhythm" and said early attempts to use higher doses in intensive care units required daily EKG monitoring because it "can throw your heart out of rhythm into a fatal arrhythmia." The commenter also said ivermectin can be liver‑toxic and can interact with other medicines that affect heart rhythm or liver function. A senator proposing a conceptual amendment urged restricting the drug to behind‑the‑counter access so pharmacists could ask about other medications; that senator later withdrew the amendment after counsel noted the bill already makes over‑the‑counter dispensing contingent on FDA approval.

The committee voted by voice to agree to the committee substitute and to report it to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass; the chair declared "the ayes have it." The committee recorded the bill’s second reference to the Judiciary Committee.

Implementation and next steps remain to be determined. The bill would allow the Board of Pharmacy rulemaking authority and explicitly ties any over‑the‑counter dispensing to a federal FDA determination.