Governor Kim Reynolds speaks during a news conference in her office in Feb., 2025. (RI file photo)
Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing that Iowa join a handful of other states that have made it legal for pharmacists to make over-the-counter sales of ivermectin.
It’s a prescription drug the FDA has approved as treatment parasitic infections, like stomach worms and head lice in humans. During the pandemic, people began to buy ivermectin that had been approved for use in livestock. “I talked to people that have used it and I talked to people that have asked if we could make it over-the-counter,” Reynolds said. “There are some states that are already doing that…We’ll give the legislature and Iowans a chance to weigh in.”
Tennessee was the first state to allow ivermectin to be sold over-the-counter without a prescription. Louisiana’s law requires a standing order from a physician, indicating pharmacists may dispense ivermectin if a customer meets certain criteria. The bill Reynolds is proposing isn’t publicly available in the legislature’s online system yet.
The Food and Drug Administration’s website says the agency has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in humans and it has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical attention after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for animals. Medical groups warn the wrong dosage of ivermectin can cause low blood pressure, seizures and even death.
A “right to try” bill was introduced in 2022 that would have let Iowa doctors prescribe ivermectin to COVID patients who were on a ventilator or life support but it did not win approval.