Solon warns public vs. 'abusive' online sellers of ivermectin, says it may cause harm to humans

Deputy Speaker Wes Gatchalian on Monday warned the public against "abusive" online sellers peddling ivermectin products as treatment against COVID-19. 

According to Gatchalian, there is an increase in the number of ivermectin products online amid the pandemic. 

"We appreciate that online e-commerce sites like Lazada have clearly classified Ivermectin as a veterinary drug, however, there may be unscrupulous individuals who will use the leniency of these online sites that make the drug easily accessible, to prey on the public especially now when word has spread that Ivermectin may be used as a cure for COVID-19,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian further said some online sellers were allegedly manipulating the price of the said product, which is believed to be a wonder drug by some individuals. 

"I just want to remind the public that this drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use and may be highly harmful to the health of our consumers,” Gatchalian said. 

The World Health Organization already warned the public against using generic anti-parasite drug ivermectin in patients with COVID-19 except for clinical trials, due to the lack of data demonstrating its benefits.

Ivermectin tablets have been approved for treating some worm infestations and for veterinary use in animals for parasites. 

Merck, an ivermectin manufacturer, has also said its analysis did not support the drug's safety and efficacy for COVID-19.

Gatchalian reminded the public that using ivermectin could cause serious harm among human beings. 

As long as the FDA has not yet issued a compassionate special permit for ivermectin to be used as a treatment for the coronavirus disease, consumers should stick to the approved use of the drug, Gatchalian stressed. 

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, on Monday said the FDA has already received an application to grant compassionate use of ivermectin on humans.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian also said e-commerce platforms should strengthen their control, especially on medicines and other drugs. 

"For one, the prices of these should never exceed the suggested retail price. Second, they should ban sellers who market drugs to be utilized for other than their recommended function," he said. 

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa Representative Ruffy Biazon said Instagram and Facebook are also being used as platforms to sell non-approved medicines, even without the necessary business permits and registrations. 

"While I am pleased that our officials are pro-actively looking for viable solutions to help COVID-19 patients overcome the disease, I am alarmed over the proliferation of online sellers marketing and offering medicines not approved as a cure for COVID-19,” Biazon said in a separate statement. 

Biazon urged the Department of Trade and Industry to tighten its monitoring of e-commerce platforms selling restricted drugs. 

The Muntinlupa lawmaker also reminded the public not to self-medicate and to always get the proper prescription or guidance from a licensed doctor amid the health crisis. 

The Department of Health has said it needs more scientific evidence that will prove ivermectin’s efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients. —KG, GMA News