Anti-parasite drug for animals ivermectin flying off store shelves as COVID spikes

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Despite tough warnings from federal health officials, consumers across the country are still trying to get their hands on a drug that is commonly used to treat or prevent parasites in animals to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

The drug Ivermectin has reportedly been blown off shelves in several states, including Texas and Oklahoma, despite not being approved for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in humans.

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“The supply of ivermectin by retail pharmacies has increased, as has the use of over-the-counter veterinary drugs that are not intended for human consumption,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. “The FDA has warned of the potential risks of using it to prevent or treat COVID-19.”

Earlier this month, the FDA said it had seen “growing interest” in the drug and had received several reports of “patients in need of medical attention who were hospitalized after self-medication with ivermectin for horses.”

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However, over a dozen stores in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas area have sold out the drug, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Noah Krzykowski, who runs the Irving Feed Store in Irving, Texas, told the point of sale that he saw droves of new customers looking for the product.

“You can tell the difference between someone who has cattle and someone who doesn’t,” Krzykowski told the Morning News. “And we’re seeing a lot of people right now who have no cattle.”

Meanwhile, Alex Gieger, who manages Red Earth Feed and Tack in Oklahoma City, Kansas, told KOCO that the store has been flooded with requests for the drug.

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Scott Schaeffer, executive director of the Oklahoma Center Poison and Drug Information, told FOX Business that they have received seven calls this month regarding ivermectin. That’s an increase from three calls in July.

“We’re more concerned that people are taking medication without their doctor’s / prescribing doctor’s intervention and that there is no reliable evidence that ivermectin is effective for treating or preventing COVID,” Schaeffer said.

Ivermectin tablets are only approved by the FDA “to treat people with intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, two diseases caused by parasitic worms,” ​​the agency said.

According to the FDA, some forms of ivermectin are also approved for the treatment of parasites such as head lice and skin conditions such as rosacea, while other forms are “used in animals to prevent heartworm disease and certain internal and external parasites”.

The FDA said consumers should never use medication for animals.

“It is important to note that these products are different from those for humans and are safe when used only on animals,” the FDA said.

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