The Texas House has approved legislation that would allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription, a measure supporters say expands medical freedom.
House Bill 25 by State Rep. Joanne Shofner authorizes pharmacists to sell ivermectin directly to customers under protocols set by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. The bill also shields pharmacists from liability if they dispense the drug in a “reasonably prudent manner.”
“Ivermectin is a safe, affordable medicine with minimal side effects that derives from nature. It was discovered in [the] 1970s in Tokyo, Japan, and was originally introduced as an anti-parasitic veterinary medicine,” Shofner told members. “However, like many other medicines, it resulted in the treatment of many human parasitic infections, especially in prevalent tropical regions around the world, with around 3 billion doses having been dispensed over the past 40 years.”
Texas would join Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana as the only states to enact legislation making ivermectin available over-the-counter. While the federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved ivermectin to treat COVID-19, the drug has developed a following among those skeptical of government and pharmaceutical industry positions on pandemic treatments.
An attempt by Democrat State Rep. Rafael Anchia to derisively rename the bill the “Darwin Awards Act” failed.
The bill’s passage comes after Shofner organized a majority of House members to coauthor the bill. She attempted a similar effort during the regular session that was ultimately killed.
During the ongoing special session, however, the measure was given new life after House Speaker Dustin Burrows added it as a chamber priority, and Gov. Greg Abbott expanded the call of the session to include the issue.
Michelle Evans, political director of Texans for Vaccine Choice, celebrated the bill’s passage.
“The effort to get this bill passed in the house has been a true grassroots fight, and Representative Shofner has set an example for grit and diplomacy,” Evans told Texas Scorecard. “TFVC is thankful for her relentless pursuit of this policy, for Senator Hall’s work in this area, for Speaker Burrows’ recognition of the importance of this bill, and Governor Abbott’s support. Thousands of Texans are celebrating this win.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to send it to Abbott’s desk for his signature.
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