Virginia hospitals step up fight against ivermectin, COVID-19 misinformation
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Misinformation about the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 continues to circulate online and Virginia hospitals are taking steps to fight back against the "dangerous" drug.
An internal email about how ivermectin will be administered at Centra recently hit social media.
In it, Centra’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee issued a statement to the medical community regarding prescriptions for this treatment.
Centra said prescriptions for ivermectin will now be reviewed, approved or denied on an ad hoc basis.
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In the past, providers could prescribe this drug without any review process.
Centra said this change in policy is due to concerns around inappropriate use of this drug, locally and nationally. The committee felt there needed to be an oversight review process.
Sentara Halifax Regional said it follows evidence-based protocols to treat COVID-19 as recommended by trusted agencies, including the CDC, National Institutes of Health and FDA.
All of these agencies currently do not recommend the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 due to a lack of evidence regarding its safety and efficacy.
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Merck, the company that produces the drug, has also noted a lack of evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 and recommends against such use.
Sentara's spokesperson went on to say they urge patients to consult their care teams about treatment plans for COVID-19 or COVID-19 prophylaxis, and not attempt to treat or prevent the illness with over-the-counter medications that contain ivermectin.
"Taking large doses of this drug can be dangerous and potentially fatal."
"Sovah Health does not recommend ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19," Dr. Sheranda Gunn-Nolan, market chief medical officer at Sovah Health, said. "The FDA has NOT approved the use of this drug for treating COVID-19 or any other viruses in humans. In fact, the FDA confirmed it has not reviewed data to support the use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients to treat or prevent COVID-19."
Gunn-Nolan further highlighted the dangers of ivermectin use and said Sovah Health utilizes proven and FDA-authorized treatments for patients with COVID-19 like monoclonal antibody therapies.
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"The FDA has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses," Gunn-Nolan said. "Taking large doses of this drug can be dangerous and potentially fatal."
Sovah Health said its physicians only prescribe ivermectin for FDA-approved reasons.
Christopher Finley, a spokesperson for the LewisGale Regional Health System, shared similar statements regarding the FDA's lack of authorization of ivermectin and a consumer warning against using the drug to treat COVID-19.
"LewisGale hospitals rely on licensed physicians and clinicians who use their extensive training and experience to assess patient needs and determine the most appropriate course of treatment," Finley said. "Outside of current clinical trials, the FDA, CDC and the WHO discourage the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19."
Despite the recommendations from national health organizations, there is a lot of interest and support for the drug circulating on social media.
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A senior lecturer in pharmacology at Keele University in the United Kingdom, Gordon Dent, broke down the controversy in an article published in The Conversation in April 2021.
Gordon said while some other studies did appear to show benefits of ivermectin, many did not.
"These were summarised by the National Institutes of Health, showing severe limitations arising from small sample sizes and problems with study design," Gordon wrote.
More studies are underway. A large, multicentre trial began in February to determine the effectiveness of ivermectin as well as metformin (an anti-diabetes medication) and fluvoxamine (an antidepressant) in preventing COVID-19 disease progression.
It would therefore be premature to conclude absolutely that ivermectin has no place in COVID-19 treatment. On the basis of current evidence, however, its use cannot be recommended.
ABC 13 also reached out to Carilion for more information about their ivermectin policies. We are still waiting on their reply.
