A bill that will allow ivermectin sales in pharmacies without a prescription is headed to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk for signature after the Senate on Monday concurred with amendments added by the House.
The bill, SB19, authorizes pharmacies to sell ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has gained in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, to adults 18 and older under a standing order issued by the Louisiana Department of Health. A prescription from an individual’s doctor is not necessary.
President of the Senate, Sen. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, left, speaks with Sen. Michael “Big Mike” Fesi, R-Houma, during legislative session, Monday, May 12, 2025, at the Louisiana State Capitol in downtown Baton Rouge, La.
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Mike Fesi, a Republican from Houma, who described it in previous committee meetings as a matter of medical freedom. Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham also spoke in favor of the measure during several committee hearings.
“Ivermectin has been shown to have some quite impressive anti-viral qualities, and that’s why some of us, including myself, started using it during the COVID epidemic,” Abraham said at a committee meeting in May.
However, the use of the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19 has been discredited by medical experts, clinical trials and regulatory agencies, who say that there is no reliable evidence to support these claims and that using the ivermectin outside of its approved uses could be dangerous.
In humans, ivermectin tablets are approved by the FDA to treat two conditions caused by parasitic worms, while some topical forms are approved to treat parasites like lice, and for rosacea, a skin condition that causes redness. For animals, ivermectin is sold in paste and liquid forms at feed and supply stores, where it is used to treat heartworm disease and internal parasites such as roundworms, lungworms, and gastrointestinal worms, as well as external parasites like mites, lice, and certain types of mange.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized or approved ivermectin for preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals. Clinical trial data has not demonstrated that ivermectin is effective against coronavirus in humans, according to the agency’s website. The FDA warns that large amounts of ivermectin can be dangerous, and even human-sized doses of ivermectin can interact with other medications, including blood-thinners. Overdoses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, dizziness, balance problems, seizures, coma and death.
Interest in ivermectin surged again early this year after actor Mel Gibson said on the Joe Rogan Show podcast that he knew people whose cancer had been cured by the drug. Google search trends in Louisiana showed a 200% increase in February compared to a few months earlier.
Louisiana oncologists and other medical experts opposed the bill, citing concerns about misuse and the possibility that patients might forgo proven treatments. New Orleans oncologist Dr. Jon Mizrahi said he and his colleagues have seen patients who took ivermectin and experienced liver damage, which delayed their standard treatment or may have exacerbated treatment. Interactions between cancer drugs and ivermectin have not been studied.
“We don’t know if it might negatively interact with our treatments,” Mizrahi said. “We could see strange interactions or decreased efficacy or decreased safety.”
In a House Health and Welfare Committee meeting in May, Abraham said he could recall some patients taking large doses who developed problems. He said they resolved once the patients were advised to take smaller doses.
“They were almost bathing in this stuff,” Abraham said. “And we did pick up some elevated liver enzymes from those particular patients.”
Abraham said that pharmacy access would help reduce any stigma and encourage patients to inform their doctors if they use the drug so it can be monitored.
Under the new law, the Louisiana Department of Health will set standard procedures for pharmacists, which include using a risk screening tool and providing patients with information on the drug’s risks and proper administration. Pharmacists may charge an administrative fee for these services in addition to the drug’s cost. They are also granted immunity from civil liability or disciplinary action if they act in good faith and without gross negligence or willful misconduct. Health insurers will not be required to cover ivermectin dispensed under these provisions.
SB19 passed 28-8 in the Senate on April 30. The bill was amended in the House, then approved 67-26 on June 3. The Senate concurred with the amendment 31-4 Monday.
Louisiana joins other Republican-led states such as Idaho, Arkansas and Tennessee in allowing over-the-counter sales of ivermectin. West Virginia and South Carolina are considering similar bills.
The law will take effect immediately upon signature by Gov. Landry, who is expected to sign it.