Tennessee's 2022 law lets adults obtain ivermectin from pharmacists without a prescription, sparking a local market critics call profit-driven. Early lab findings suggested antiviral activity, but well-conducted clinical studies show ivermectin is not effective for treating COVID-19. Poison centers report rising misuse and dangerous claims—such as using the drug for cancer—while the FDA warns ivermectin is not authorized for COVID-19. Experts urge better surveillance, public education, and clinical oversight.
Tennessee's Ivermectin Boom: Experts Warn It's Driven by Profit and Distrust, Not Science
Stock image of packages of the antiparasitic medication ivermectinCredit: Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty
Ivermectin — an antiparasitic drug once promoted as a COVID-19 cure — is now available without a prescription in Tennessee after a 2022 law allowing pharmacists to dispense it to adults. The policy has helped create a local market that public health experts say is being fueled more by profit and political identity than by sound medical evidence.
How the Trend Started
Early laboratory research showed that ivermectin could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in test tubes. However, subsequent clinical trials found the drug ineffective for treating COVID-19 in people. Despite that, ivermectin retained popularity among some groups skeptical of mainstream medical advice and vaccines.
Rising Misuse and Public Health Concerns
Poison control centers in Tennessee report an increase in ivermectin-related calls, including cases that reflect misuse or inappropriate dosing. Medical staff have also seen online chatter and anecdotal claims that the drug can treat unrelated serious conditions, including cancer, a claim for which there is no reliable evidence.
Stock image of the antiparasitic medication ivermecticCredit: Getty
'This is really about profit. This is about political identity. This is about creating distrust in the existing biomedical community,' said University of Alberta professor Timothy Caulfield, summarizing the motivations some observers attribute to the surge.
Physicians warn that promoting unproven therapies can put vulnerable patients at risk and distract from effective, evidence-based treatments. 'It's going back to 19th-century quack science,' said Dr. John Mafi, an internal medicine physician at UCLA.
Promotion and Access
Certain clinicians and influencers have actively promoted ivermectin and encouraged people to obtain it. One physician profiled in reports has publicly endorsed personal use and listed pharmacies willing to dispense the medicine. Tennessee officials say they do not yet have comprehensive data on how much ivermectin has been dispensed under the law.
Regulatory Position and Advice
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly stated that it 'has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals.' Ivermectin remains approved for specific parasitic infections and some topical conditions, such as head lice and rosacea.
Public health experts recommend that patients consult licensed clinicians before taking medicines for off-label uses, report adverse events to poison control or public health authorities, and that policymakers consider monitoring and education to reduce harms from unproven treatments.
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