A bill allowing two controversial medications to become available over the counter advanced in the Iowa House Thursday afternoon.House File 2056 would require pharmacists to give ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to any adult who wants them, even if they don’t have a prescription. It would require pharmacists to share the manufacturer’s label with patients. During a subcommittee meeting, lawmakers had strong opinions on both sides.”I’d like to move this bill forward,” said Republican Chair Eddie Andrews of Polk County.Physician and Democrat Rep. Austin Baeth of Polk County strongly disagreed.”This needs to go in the trash immediately,” he said. According to the Mayo Clinic, both drugs have approved medical uses in humans, but they come with some serious side effects, which can include dizziness and fever to arrhythmias, kidney injury, liver failure, and severe skin reactions.Currently, Iowans can only get these drugs with a doctor’s prescription. Advocates say this prevents government overreach and allows Iowans to be the stewards of their own medical care.”The full safety profile can be evaluated by the patient themselves,” said Lindsey Maher of Informed Choice Iowa. “They can read that inserts know that there are risks and determine, based on informed consent, what are the risks or the benefits benefit them.”Several major medical organizations, including the Iowa Pharmacy Association, Iowa Medical Society, Rheumatology Association of Iowa, and Polk County Medical Society, disagreed. “This bill states that pharmacists would carry no legal liability for patient harm, but legal immunity does not address our moral and professional responsibility to protect patients,” said Wes Pilkington, president of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. “But this legislation effectively tells pharmacists that our clinical judgment is optional.”Ultimately, Baeth voted no while Republican Subcommittee chair Eddie Andrews voted yes.The final vote came down to Republican pharmacist Brett Barker, who said he had some concerns about the bill’s language.”There’s no other place in Iowa code that we force healthcare providers to do something like that and to provide a specific treatment,” he said.The bill ended up advancing, getting it one step closer to making it to the governor’s desk. However, it still has to go before a committee, the House and the Senate before it can become law. » Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
DES MOINES, Iowa —
A bill allowing two controversial medications to become available over the counter advanced in the Iowa House Thursday afternoon.
House File 2056 would require pharmacists to give ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to any adult who wants them, even if they don’t have a prescription. It would require pharmacists to share the manufacturer’s label with patients.
During a subcommittee meeting, lawmakers had strong opinions on both sides.
“I’d like to move this bill forward,” said Republican Chair Eddie Andrews of Polk County.
Physician and Democrat Rep. Austin Baeth of Polk County strongly disagreed.
“This needs to go in the trash immediately,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, both drugs have approved medical uses in humans, but they come with some serious side effects, which can include dizziness and fever to arrhythmias, kidney injury, liver failure, and severe skin reactions.
Currently, Iowans can only get these drugs with a doctor’s prescription.
Advocates say this prevents government overreach and allows Iowans to be the stewards of their own medical care.
“The full safety profile can be evaluated by the patient themselves,” said Lindsey Maher of Informed Choice Iowa. “They can read that inserts know that there are risks and determine, based on informed consent, what are the risks or the benefits benefit them.”
Several major medical organizations, including the Iowa Pharmacy Association, Iowa Medical Society, Rheumatology Association of Iowa, and Polk County Medical Society, disagreed.
“This bill states that pharmacists would carry no legal liability for patient harm, but legal immunity does not address our moral and professional responsibility to protect patients,” said Wes Pilkington, president of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. “But this legislation effectively tells pharmacists that our clinical judgment is optional.”
Ultimately, Baeth voted no while Republican Subcommittee chair Eddie Andrews voted yes.
The final vote came down to Republican pharmacist Brett Barker, who said he had some concerns about the bill’s language.
“There’s no other place in Iowa code that we force healthcare providers to do something like that and to provide a specific treatment,” he said.
The bill ended up advancing, getting it one step closer to making it to the governor’s desk. However, it still has to go before a committee, the House and the Senate before it can become law.
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» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play