Ivermectin: Arkansas Inmates Not Told They Were Given Anti-Parasitic Drug

Several prisoners at a jail in northwest Arkansas claim they were not informed that medications prescribed to treat COVID-19 were really an anti-parasite treatment.

Jail receives Ivermectin without telling them. (Photo: Medpage Today)

Inmates Complained About the Drug

In a recently published article in ABC News, a news outlet spoke with three prisoners at the Washington County jail who said they had no idea they were being administered ivermectin until it was disclosed last week. Inmates have also complained, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which reiterated its demand for the practice to be ended on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the prisoners’ statements contradict the sheriff’s and the jail’s physician’s claims that the medication was used voluntarily. The state Medical Board has launched an inquiry into the drug’s usage in the prison.

Inmate William Evans said that prisoners felt like they were being used as test subjects for the medicine, claiming that he received it two weeks after testing positive for coronavirus, according to a recently published article in The Hill. 

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FDA Approved the Drug But Not To Cure COVID-19 Patients

Ivermectin has been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in humans and animals to treat parasitic worms, head lice, and skin problems. The FDA has not authorized its usage in humans to treat or prevent COVID-19, according to a published article in NPR.

Additionally, the American Medical Association, the American Pharmacists Association, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists all urged on Wednesday for the medication to be stopped being prescribed and used outside of research studies.

ACLU Condemned the Action of the Authorities

According to the ACLU, many prisoners claim they were informed the medication was vitamins or steroids. The ACLU stated in a letter to Helder on Wednesday that several prisoners are considering filing a lawsuit to prevent the medication from being given. The fact that prisoners were not told they were being administered the medication was “unconscionable,” according to the organization.

According to papers obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, the state Medical Board informed Karas last month that it had received two complaints against him over a post on his clinic’s Facebook page in which he claimed he didn’t think face masks prevented the transmission of diseases.

Needless to say, last Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to physicians about the trend. According to the CDC, there is insufficient evidence that ivermectin is useful in preventing or treating COVID-19, and the government has not approved its use against the virus.

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