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Contested amendment to allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without prescription draws broad opposition
Summary
A proposed amendment to allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin under a statewide standing order prompted intense testimony from clinicians, pharmacists and DHHS officials, who warned that pregnancy safety, dosing and training concerns make the change risk-prone and operationally complex.
A last-minute amendment to Senate Bill 119 would create a statewide standing order allowing pharmacists to dispense ivermectin (and some other over-the-counter items and laboratory tests referenced in the same amendment text) without an individual prescription. The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee heard a concentrated, often emotional debate.
Proponents: Representative Paige Beauchmin and Representative Kelly Potenza (who introduced the amendment) and others argued that ivermectin has a long history of safe use for parasitic infections, cited international practice and urged states to permit over-the-counter or…
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