Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a bill to make a controversial anti-parasitic drug available over the counter. House Bill 4124 would allow pharmacists to supply ivermectin without requiring a prescription from a health care professional.
The bill is one of multiple filed by Republican lawmakers about the drug, including those who have issued a request for the Oklahoma attorney general to investigate the state's COVID-19 response and hospital protocols during the pandemic.
Ivermectin is used to treat several conditions in animals, like heartworms and other parasites. It can also be prescribed to treat some parasitic worms and external parasites, such as lice, in humans.
During the pandemic, the medicine drew increasing support from the political right as an alternative COVID-19 treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined currently available clinical trial data do not demonstrate effectiveness against COVID-19 in humans or animals.
HB 4124 passed in the Oklahoma House Public Health Committee on a vote of 5-1 on Wednesday. It is now eligible to be heard in the Health and Human Services Oversight Committee.
During discussion, Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, asked whether the legislature should be making decisions about which medicines must be supplied at pharmacies, citing concerns about overdoses and adverse drug interactions. Pogemiller was the lone vote against the bill in committee.
Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, who sponsored the bill, said he doesn't share Pogemiller's concerns. Ivermectin is already available at farm stores, like Tractor Supply Co., he said.
"There's no difference between human ivermectin and animal ivermectin," Fetgatter said. "Now, I'm just saying that we should sell the human form so that those who have the freedom to go into the store and purchase the medication can purchase the human form and stop the political rhetoric that went on."
The active ingredients are the same for all forms of ivermectin, though medication delivery differs between animals and humans, according to Dr. Jim Lowe, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert on infectious diseases and agricultural animals.
When prescribed for humans, ivermectin typically comes as a swallowable tablet. For cattle, horses and pigs, the medicine can be applied as a paste or be injected in large quantities.
Fetgetter said it is not the government's job "to keep people from making dumb decisions." He said Oklahomans should be able to seek out the medicine, for any variety of ailments, on their own accord.
"Unfortunately, ivermectin became a political volleyball during the COVID years," he said. "And that political volleyball needs to stop."
At least four other states — Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho and Louisiana — enacted similar laws that allow for over-the-counter distribution of ivermectin last year.
Studies about the effects of ivermectin overdose in humans are limited. But inappropriate use can cause harm, ranging from mild symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea to more severe effects like confusion, loss of balance, seizures and even death, the FDA warned in 2021.
Fetgatter said HB4124 was a constituent request. He said health care practitioners are less accessible in rural communities, and the bill would give Oklahomans freedom and discretion to purchase the medicine without barriers.
The measure still must clear many legislative hurdles before becoming law.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
