Controlled Substances and Pharmacists and Pharmacies; ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication in this state; provide
Summary
SB 366 would make ivermectin available for sale in Georgia as an over-the-counter medication for human use. The bill amends Georgia’s controlled substances and pharmacy laws to remove ivermectin from the state’s dangerous drug definitions, exceptions, and exemptions, and adds a new code section expressly allowing ivermectin suitable for human use to be sold or purchased without a prescription or consultation with a pharmacist or other healthcare professional.
The bill also defines ivermectin for purposes of the new law, describing it as an antiparasitic drug used in both veterinary and human medicine. In practical terms, the measure would change how ivermectin is regulated at the state level by eliminating legal barriers that currently treat it as a prescription-only or otherwise restricted drug under Georgia law, while repealing any conflicting provisions.
Impact
If enacted, SB 366 would alter Title 16 and Title 26 of the Georgia Code by removing ivermectin from the state’s dangerous drug framework and creating an explicit over-the-counter pathway for human-use ivermectin. This would affect pharmacists, pharmacies, retailers, prescribers, and consumers by allowing direct access to the drug without a prescription, and it would supersede any conflicting state law provisions that currently restrict its sale or purchase.
Sentiment
The available record does not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a deregulatory effort aimed at expanding consumer access to ivermectin, but the legislative record provided does not show whether that approach was broadly supported or opposed.
Contention
No committee transcript or vote history is provided, so specific points of contention cannot be identified from the record. The likely areas of dispute, based on the bill’s subject matter, would be whether ivermectin should be available without a prescription, whether pharmacist oversight is necessary, and whether the bill could encourage inappropriate use of a drug that has both veterinary and human applications.
Pharmaceuticals; prohibiting the Board of Pharmacy from disciplining pharmacists who recommend off-label use of a drug; allowing over-the-counter sale of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine.