Pharmacy cautions against self-medication and self-dosing of 'Ivermectin' to treat COVID-19

JUNE 24, 2021 @ 12.34PM
healthcaretoday, COVID-19, Ivermectin, Alpha Pharmacy, Coronavirus, Coronavirus 19,
Self-medicated Ivermectin might cause serious health complications and overdose.
​Currently, no human use Ivermectin is approved and registered in Malaysia. All approved medication containing Ivermectin in Malaysia is only for animal use. Its usage on the human body may cause negative effects as the dosage for animal use and human use varies significantly.

Alpro Pharmacy recognises the absolute necessity to caution the public against any form of self-medication and self-dosing with Ivermectin. Self-medicated Ivermectin, in this context, might cause serious health complications and overdose.

Potential health effects include allergic reactions, dizziness, seizures, coma and even death. Misinformation that is being spread on this matter across online public forums and social media platforms are also alarming.

​'We would strongly advise the public to always only refer to verified sources of information like the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) or the World Health Organisation (WHO) for information regarding COVID-19 treatments, Ivermectin or any other medications or drugs,' said Lim En Ni, Chief Pharmacist and Director of Engagement, Alpro Pharmacy Group.

At the moment, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Ivermectin for treating or preventing Covid-19 in humans, and the WHO only recommends the use of Ivermectin in clinical trial settings, in which patients are monitored closely by experienced clinicians and researchers for safety and efficacy.

​The efficacy of Ivermectin in suppressing the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 among COVID-19 patients is still being clinically evaluated by MOH and the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR). The results from these clinical trials are due in September.

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