Redman owns the Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy in Hayden, which as of late May has been selling ivermectin that it compounded in-house without a prescription.<\/p>\n
IDAHO, USA \u2014 This story originally appeared in the\u00a0Idaho Press<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n A North Idaho pharmacy, co-owned by a state lawmaker, is among a few currently selling\u00a0ivermectin over-the-counter.<\/a> Although legislation passed this year made the sale legal in Idaho, there\u2019s been uncertainty for some on how to do so while navigating other regulations in the industry.<\/p>\n The drug, frequently used in humans and livestock as an anti-parasitic, became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend<\/a> its use for the novel coronavirus based on \u201ccurrently available clinical trial data.\u201d<\/p>\n Senate Bill 1121<\/a>, co-sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d\u2019Alene, went into effect upon the signature of Gov. Brad Little on April 14 \u2014 Idaho joined two other states in allowing for the over-the-counter sale of the drug.<\/p>\n Redman owns the Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy location in Hayden, which as of late May has been selling ivermectin that it compounded in-house without a prescription.<\/p>\n However, administrative rules regulating the pharmacy industry in Idaho may not allow for the over-the-counter sale of compounded medication.<\/p>\n \u201cState law requires a prescription for any compounded medication,\u201d spokesman for the governing Idaho Board of Pharmacy Bob McLaughlin told the Idaho Press in an email.<\/p>\n McLaughlin said a violation of this rule would be determined only if a complaint was filed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Board\u2019s investigative team would be made aware if a complaint was filed by the public with the Idaho Board of Pharmacy,\u201d McLaughlin wrote. \u201cThe Board\u2019s investigative team would then determine if the Board had jurisdiction and if there was a possible violation of Idaho law. If the answer to both was yes, then an investigation could be conducted.\u201d<\/p>\n Redman told the Idaho Press in a phone interview he thought the law as written should still allow pharmacies to sell it the drug if they compounded it in-house.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the whole thought with Senate Bill 1211, at its core, was to make sure that Idahoans and people in the state could get access to over-the-counter ivermectin that was suitable for human use,\u201d Redman said. \u201c… I think the law was written in a way to be flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n Redman said he had concerns about people obtaining the drug through animal feed stores and consuming animal-grade products and potentially large animal-size doses.<\/p>\n The bill, which is about a half-page long, states, \u201cNotwithstanding any law to the contrary, ivermectin suitable for human use may be sold or purchased as an over-the-counter medication in this state without a prescription or consultation with a healthcare professional.\u201d<\/p>\n Korey Kreider, a pharmacist who co-owns the Medicine Man location with Redman, said there are cases where it\u2019s legal for pharmacies to sell compounded medication without a prescription, such as in-house compounded Tylenol or ibuprofen. He said there are also cases of pharmacies selling in-house-made supplements.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very delicate thing on how you interpret it and how you\u2019re going to do that,\u201d Kreider said. \u201cWe\u2019re open to suggestions as far as how we can go and make this safer, better, whatever we need to do to get the Board of Pharmacy, our Idaho Legislature all on the same page. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to navigate.\u201d<\/p>\n The regulation requiring a prescription to sell compounded medication is within Idaho Administrative Code,<\/a> which carries the force of law.<\/p>\n Other pharmacies told the Idaho Press they had been hesitant to sell the drug without a prescription because of federal and administrative regulations.<\/p>\n Ivermectin can normally be obtained with a prescription, and the FDA has approved its use for conditions caused by parasitic worms. Boxes of the medicine distributed by the manufacturer have a label that says, \u201cRx only,\u201d which means it cannot be sold without a prescription, Boise- and Eagle-based Customedica Pharmacy Director of Operations Matthew Murray told the Idaho Press in an email.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not selling Ivermectin over-the-counter at this time,\u201d Murray wrote. \u201cI believe a couple additional changes need to be legislated in order for us to be able to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Murray said that his understanding is that additional legislation allowing for the over-the-counter sale of compounded medication may be needed, or a manufacturer would need to create an ivermectin product and label meant for sale without a prescription.<\/p>\n A pharmacist at Hells Canyon Pharmacy in Lewiston said their pharmacy only provided the drug with a prescription because of concerns regarding proper labeling.<\/p>\n The state Board of Pharmacy posted guidance on its website, noting that prescription-grade ivermectin packages do not include directions or dosages for \u201coff-label\u201d uses.<\/p>\n The board wrote in a memo for pharmacies<\/a> that, if they wanted to sell it without a prescription, to consider keeping it behind the counter, similar to emergency contraception or over-the-counter insulin.<\/p>\n \u201cPharmacists may then offer (though not require) counseling to patients on proper dosage amounts, potential drug-drug interactions, and symptoms of ivermectin toxicity for which to monitor when taking this medication,\u201d the board\u2019s memo stated.<\/p>\n McLaughlin, the Board of Pharmacy spokesman, declined to weigh in on if the rules around selling compounded medication would conflict with the state ivermectin law or if changes were needed to the current language or rules.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Idaho Board of Pharmacy is under DOPL (the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing). And DOPL, as an executive branch agency, executes only existing legislation,\u201d McLaughlin wrote. \u201cThe Idaho Board of Pharmacy has posted guidance on the Board\u2019s website, and the statute speaks for itself. Licensees who have questions about existing laws are encouraged to consult their own legal counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n Pharmacists at Medicine Man in Hayden created their own label with recommended dosage, according to staff from the pharmacy.<\/p>\n The label states \u201cImmune Support,\u201d with an asterisk and note that says, \u201cThese statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This Product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease,\u201d according to a photo of the bottle posted on social media.<\/p>\n There is a QR code on the bottle that links to a list of ingredients, staff said. The pharmacy sells bottles with 30 capsules of 3 mg pills for $75.50 before taxes.<\/p>\n