SALISBURY, Md.- Eastern Shore Congressman Andy Harris has created a stir with a controversial COVID-19 prescription.
Harris, who is an anesthesiologist, said on a radio show he has prescribed a drug called ivermectin to treat COVID-19, even though that drug has not been approved by the federal government.
The admission by Harris, a Republican who represents Maryland's 1st District, came last month as he co-hosted a radio show in Baltimore. A caller asked him about ivermectin for his wife, who had not been vaccinated.
"I wrote a prescription for ivermectin, I guess it was now three, four weeks ago, and yeah, couldn't find a pharmacy to fill it. I guess the pharmacists are refusing to fill it," said Harris on WCBM on Sept. 17, 2021.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, ivermectin is generally used to treat parasites in animals. For humans, it has been approved at very specific doses to treat some parasitic worms, and a topical version for head lice.
The FDA has not approved its use for treating COVID-19.
In a statement to WBOC, the agency said in part, "...the safety and efficacy of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 has not been established."
That is consistent with other medical agencies. The American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association, and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists issued a joint statement saying they, "...strongly oppose the ordering, prescribing, or dispensing of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial."
Harris says data in India demonstrates ivermectin is safe to use for COVID-19, and he believes it is a safe drug overall.
"Over a half-billion people on this planet, humans have taken it," said Harris. "There are way more humans than horses who have taken ivermectin. It's a safe drug, and again, it fills a gap that this administration has failed in."
Harris reiterated that millions of people in India have taken ivermectin for COVID-19, and that the Biden administration is putting all of its emphasis on vaccines as opposed to therapeutics.
Harris was asked if he is prioritizes other countries' medical expertise over the United States.
"I believe science looks globally, science just doesn't look at one country," he said. "The data from India is very convincing. A state in India with a population almost as big as the United States quashed their COVID outbreak this summer by the use of ivermectin."
India Today, a weekly English language news magazine, reported in September that ivermectin was dropped from that country's clinical guidance after it was found to have little to no effect on COVID-related mortality or clinical recovery of the patient.
On Delmarva, while not an employee, Harris is contracted to provide anesthesia at UM Shore Regional Health in Easton, Md.