Ivermectin now available over-the-counter from pharmacists in Tennessee

A new law in Tennessee allows physicians and pharmacists to enter into collaborative agreements to make ivermectin available without a prescription.

JOHNSON CITY, TN, USA, May 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The nation’s first over-the-counter sale of ivermectin took place May 11, 2022 at The Compounding Lab, a family-owned pharmacy in Johnson City, TN.

Senate Bill 2188 by Senator Frank Niceley and Representative Susan Lynn (companion house bill), was ratified by the Tennessee Legislature and signed by Governor Lee, becoming effective April 22, 2022. This new law allows Tennessee pharmacists to dispense safe USP grade ivermectin over-the-counter under what’s known as a Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreement.

TN physicians and pharmacists now have the authority to enter into their own collaborative agreements to make ivermectin available to individuals aged 18 years and older, following the parameters outlined in the law. The collaborative agreements must establish a screening tool, provide product fact sheets, and require consultation with a pharmacist prior to purchase.

The Compounding Pharmacy entered into a collaborative agreement with Dr. Denise Sibley, a board certified internal medicine physician (MD 1986, University of Virginia; Internal Medicine residency, 1989 University of Virginia) from Johnson City. Dr. Sibley testified on multiple occasions before the House and Senate regarding ivermectin use and has extensive experience in treating COVID-19 illness over the past 26 months, treating 4,470 patients thus far.

Dr. Denise Sibley has been a passionate advocate for early treatment of COVID-19 illness and for providing safe forms of ivermectin to patients who have independently sought out the treatment.

Ivermectin, like penicillin and aspirin, is a drug derived from nature; it was FDA approved for human use in 1987 for the treatment of parasites. The drug also has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. It is included in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines and stockpiled by nations. A Nobel Prize was awarded to the discoverers of Ivermectin in 2015 for their groundbreaking discovery. Over 4 billion doses have been given and the drug has an excellent safety profile after 35 years of use. It is given annually, monthly, or weekly in populations with known parasitic diseases.

Ivermectin has been used off-label in the early treatment of COVID-19 illness since 2020 because of its unique and highly potent ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 viral replication and to suppress inflammation in later stages of disease. To date, 82 studies have been published from 27 countries with 129,808 patients which demonstrate statistically significant (not occurring by chance) improvement in risk of death (mortality), hospitalization, ventilation, and clearance of the virus.

The off-label use (FDA approved drug used for other conditions after approval) of medications, also known as “repurposing”, is widely accepted in medical practice with approximately 20% of all medications prescribed to Americans used in this fashion.

“Prevention and early treatment are critically important components to any health issue,” said Dr. Sibley. “As physicians and pharmacies across the state enter into collaborative agreements under this new law, access to safe over-the-counter USP grade ivermectin will increase, and avoid the problems associated with individuals resorting to the use of the veterinarian forms. This does not replace the need for patients to consult a doctor for complete treatment, it simply ensures that individuals have access to safe human grade ivermectin.”

Bernadette Pajer
ICWA
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