South Dakota Senate committee kills ivermectin bill

(The Center Square) – Members of the South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee killed a bill Wednesday that would “allow certain medical professionals to dispense ivermectin to persons.”

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, had passed the House earlier this month.

Committee members heard from doctors in South Dakota who said they were being pressured not to prescribe the drug for treating COVID-19.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved ivermectin for treating the virus in humans or animals. The drug is approved “for human use to treat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea,” according to the FDA.

Dr. Paul Marik, a Virginia physician, said the drug was “one of the safest on the planet.”

“We don’t want the federal government, the state or hospitals to tell doctors how to practice medicine,” Marik said. “That’s an outrage, and it violates the Hippocratic Oath.”

Deb Fischer Clemons of Avera Health said health care officials with Avera were allowed to prescribe ivermectin.

“There are several of our physicians who do prescribe ivermectin,” she said. “Are they prescribing it for COVID? I can’t answer that question. That would be a HIPPA violation.”

Several medical organizations said they opposed the bill, including the South Dakota State Medical Association and the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians.

Sen. Arthur Rusch, R-Vermillion, made a motion to move the bill to the 41st day, which gives it no chance of being heard by the Senate before the 40-day legislative session ends.

“I am a conservative, and as a conservative, I believe in less government. I believe in less government involvement in these kind of issues, “Rusch said. “I think the last thing we need to is (have) the Legislature attempting to dictate the propriety or the use of any kind of medicines. That’s up for the doctors. That’s exactly what I would expect from a liberal government to be dictating.”

The state is far too involved with health care already, Sen. Blake Curd, R-Sioux Falls, said.

“I would not want it to see it expand any further,” Curd said.

The committee voted, 7-0, to move the bill to the 41st day.

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