The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, May 8, cautioned the health professionals against the off-label use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin.
“Lumabas na po ang CPR (Certificate of Product Registration) ng Ivermectin and specific naman po ang CPR for anti-parasitic purposes," said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
“So kung sakaling gagamitin yang Ivermectin ng ibang doctor (If a doctor will use it , it's going to be an off-label use and the accountability and liability will rest upon the physician who was prescribing," she added.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Ivermectin to humans as an anti-nematode.
Some lawmakers are pushing for the use of Ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The country’s health experts are not yet recommending the use of Ivermectin for such purposes due to “insufficient evidence.”
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that a clinical trial is expected to start next month to determine the effectiveness of Ivermectin against COVID-19. The trial is expected to run for eight months.