By Alec Go
The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) reiterated on Wednesday (May 5) its position against the unauthorized prescription and intake of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
Citing its statement issued on May 1, PMA President Dr. Benito Atienza said they support the stand of the Department of Health (DOH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that there is “inconclusive” evidence on the use of the drug for COVID-19.
The official PMA Statement on the use of Ivermectin for Covid
Please share to our members.Posted by Philippine Medical Association on Sunday, May 2, 2021
He added that studies supporting the drug, which were reviewed by their infectious medicine specialists, were found to have “low confidence certainty due to high risk of bias and low overall quality of evidence.”
“Sinusuportahan din natin ang sinabi ng FDA na ang paggamit lang ng ivermectin ay para lang doon sa limang ospital na may compassionate use [special permit],” Atienza said in the Laging Handa public briefing.
“Pati mga doctor na kasama sa ospital ay dapat humingi ng permiso sa ating FDA para gumamit. Ibig sabihin, walang ibang dapat gumamit n’ung gamot o mag-reseta. Labas ito sa patakaran na ini-release ng FDA,” he added.
It was also noted that the manufacture and distribution of unregistered drugs, and the sale of products bought abroad but are not FDA-registered, are illegal.
Earlier this week, the Philippine College of Physicians opposed “the dispensing of unregistered drugs like ivermectin for indications that have not been scientifically established.”
The FDA and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said they are investigating the reported recent distribution of the drug in Quezon City which involved two lawmakers. -jlo
Read more: DOH, PNP-CIDG probe distribution of ivermectin in QC
Watch the interview with Dr. Atienza:
