Tennessee Makes Ivermectin Available Without Prescription
April 27, 2022 | By Michelle Edwards | uncoverdc
“Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill on Apr. 22, 2022, allowing Ivermectin to be dispensed without a prescription. The new law states, “a pharmacist, in good faith, may provide Ivermectin to a patient who is eighteen (18) years of age or older pursuant to a valid collaborative pharmacy practice agreement containing a non-patient-specific prescriptive order and standardized procedures developed and executed by one (1) or more authorized prescribers.”
Introduced by Sen. Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) on Jan. 31, Senate Bill 2188 was co-sponsored by Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City). The amended version of the bill signed by Gov. Lee will create a standard procedure for pharmacists to easily dispense Ivermectin to patients while protecting a pharmacist or doctor from being held liable for doing so.
Enacted by adding a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 10, Part 2, the law states that “a pharmacist or prescriber acting in good faith and with reasonable care involved in the provision of Ivermectin pursuant to this section is immune from disciplinary or adverse administrative actions under this title for acts or omissions during the provision of Ivermectin.” The law further states:
“A pharmacist or prescriber involved in the provision of Ivermectin pursuant to this section is immune from civil liability in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct for actions authorized by this section.”
The state’s board of pharmacy is tasked with adopting rules to establish standard procedures for the provision of Ivermectin by pharmacists, including providing patients with a screening risk assessment tool. They will also offer a standardized fact sheet that includes the indications and contraindications for using Ivermectin, the appropriate method for using the drug, and the importance of medical follow-up, among other information deemed relevant by the board.”
