FDA directed to go after illegal traders of Ivermectin

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to go after people peddling anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin as treatment for Covid-19, Malacañang said.

“To ensure the safety and welfare of the public and at the same time avoid any unnecessary conflicts, the FDA has been directed to take the lead in determining the course of action against the illegal trading/dispensing of Ivermectin,” Roque said in a statement Wednesday.

“The Philippine National Police cannot arbitrarily determine on their own which drug/s should not be in the market. All operations to apprehend or seize goods must be done in coordination with the FDA,” Roque also said.

The FDA, he added, has been ordered to stop the sale or trade of ivermectin for veterinary use that has been repackaged as human grade, including those that have not been determined by competent authorities as safe for humans.

“Having said this, we advise the public to seek the advice of medical practitioners before taking medicines and/or supplements,” according to Roque.

The FDA has issued a compassionate use permit for only two hospitals to use Ivermectin to treat patients with the viral disease.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)