A local lawmaker has co-sponsored a bill that would allow ivermectin to be sold over the counter in Tennessee without a prescription. On Wednesday, the bill co-sponsored by Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) was passed by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 2188 was introduced by Sen. Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) on Jan. 31. Crowe became one of the bill’s co-sponsors as it made its way past committees in the Senate. It passed in the Senate with a vote of 23-6.
The bill would authorize “ivermectin suitable for human use” to be sold or bought as an over-the-counter medication in Tennessee without a prescription. Pharmacists and other licensed healthcare providers would not be required to provide a consultation prior to the sale either.
“Sales will be pursuant to each pharmacist’s physician collaborative agreement, and to procedures that will be developed by the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy,” a release from the Senate Republican Caucus states in reference to the bill’s passage in the Senate.
The release states that under the bill, any pharmacist or prescriber who acts in good faith would be immune to disciplinary actions or civil liability related to the sale of ivermectin.
“Ivermectin is one of the many therapeutic options like vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and anti-virals that have proven to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19,” Crowe stated in the release. “This bill will provide for a safe and effective way for patients to quickly access ivermectin over the counter and under the supervision of their pharmacists and the physician with whom the pharmacists have their collaborative agreement.” … Read more (The Hill)
what else happening in Tennessee
