The state House could vote Wednesday to make the medication Ivermectin available at pharmacies without a prescription, after the bill passed two committee votes Tuesday.
Ivermectin is typically used to treat parasitic worms, but it's become popular for other illnesses like COVID-19 — even though the FDA hasn't approved it for those purposes.
Rep. Jonathan Almond, R-Cabarrus, says his bill would make the medication more affordable, because patients wouldn't need to see a doctor first.
"Ivermectin has been around," he said. "It's a safe, affordable drug. It was discovered in the 1970s. It was approved for human use in 1987."
But opponents worry it could be used inappropriately if it's taken without a doctor's supervision. The FDA says taking large amounts of ivermectin can be dangerous, and it can interact with other medications like blood thinners.
"There are studies that there can be severe side effects using this drug without any doctor's oversight to it, and we're going to make this just as easy to get as aspirin," said Rep. Marcia Morey, D-Durham.
Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, says he thinks ivermectin is safer than aspirin, and he knows people who got "immediate relief" from COVID-19 after taking it.
Kathy Page told a House committee that she's had positive results from taking ivermectin, but she worries that some people are buying animal-sized dosages of the drug intended for livestock from Tractor Supply, which could be less safe than getting it from a pharmacist.
The bill would make pharmacists who dispense ivermectin immune from lawsuits. Almond says several other states are considering similar legislation.
