The Office of the Drug Inspector here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is advising the public to be wary of unproven claims in relation to the viability of the drug Iver-mectin, in respect of the ongoing Covid 19 Pandemic.
A release from the Ministry of Health says the advice is being given, in view of the international attention and ongoing debate regarding Iver-mectin being a potential “miracle drug” in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
The Ministry says part of the mandate of the Office of the Drug Inspector is to promote the rational use of medicines through regulated importation as well as proper prescribing and dispensing of pharmaceutical products
It adds that while the United States Food and Drug Administration approved Iver-mectin for use in humans in 1996 for the treatment of round-worm and river blindness caused by a parasitic worm, and it is included on the WHO’s list of essential drugs for a country to have, its use in COVID-19 remains unauthorized as the science behind this use is largely inconclusive.
The Ministry says worldwide, Iver-mectin has been used to treat roundworm infestations in humans and livestock.
The Ministry says National Regulatory Agencies are heeding the recommendation issued by the WHO that the drug be used only in clinical trials where the requisite monitoring and controls are in place.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the public is advised to pay close attention to the fact that, so far, there is no indication to use Iver-mectin as a patient or to prescribe it as a physician other than in an approved clinical trial. Veterinarians are also not expected to sell the animal version to people for the treatment of COVID-19 as this practice is illegal and potentially dangerous.
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