FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Since the pandemic began, Florida lawmakers and health officials have become fascinated with ivermectin for more than its approved human uses.

Now, Florida’s Republican legislators want to make it easier to get ivermectin, the controversial anti-parasitic drug used to treat livestock and embraced by Florida’s surgeon general as a COVID treatment.

Tucked into what has been called Florida’s Medical Freedom bill is a provision that would allow pharmacists in the state to dispense ivermectin to adults without a prescription. And, according to the bill, pharmacists “acting in good faith” would be immune from liability for providing it.

Already, lawmakers in 16 states have either passed or proposed legislation that would make ivermectin available over the counter or without a prescription.

Florida’s bill to make ivermectin available without a prescription is part of a Medical Freedom package that represents a major push in the state Legislature to expand patient rights and limit vaccine mandates.

Efforts to make ivermectin available without a doctor’s prescription would expand the drug’s use well beyond veterinary medicine. Ivermectin can be used in humans only with a prescription from a doctor, usually to treat parasitic worms or lice and skin conditions like rosacea.

Florida’s history with ivermectin

During news briefings and in social media posts, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has endorsed ivermectin as an alternative treatment for COVID and touted the drug’s use as an antiviral medication. He has company in conservative Florida politicians and the governor, who encourage ivermectin as a cure-all that should be readily available.

So far, the majority of studies have not proven the medication to be effective in treating COVID. It became a heated issue during the pandemic when many doctors refused patients’ requests to prescribe it.

Health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have repeatedly warned that ivermectin can cause adverse side effects in humans, like dizziness, nausea and seizures.

Florida Rep. Jeff Holcomb, R-Spring Hill, sponsor of the Medical Freedom bill, said legalizing the over-the-counter sale of ivermectin would give Floridians in rural areas “a more practical option to manage their health needs without unnecessary delays.”

“This bill seeks to expand access by reducing barriers for patients who need this proven, safe medication,” Holcomb wrote in his analysis. “Passing this bill would empower patients, ease burdens on overextended healthcare systems, and ensure that essential medications are within reach for all who need them.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on social media that he would sign a bill on the over-the-counter sale of ivermectin if it is passed by the Florida Legislature.

“We are pushing for the Legislature to do the Ivermectin bill; I will sign it once passed,” DeSantis wrote in response to an X user who stated she is praying it can be sold over the counter in Florida.

Ivermectin for cancer?

The Florida Department of Health has allocated up to $2 million from the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund to research ivermectin as a cancer treatment. Some studies suggest ivermectin may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs, but its use for cancer treatment has not been extensively studied in humans.

Florida health officials did not respond to requests for information about when the research began, how long it will take, and who is conducting it.

Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, a breast cancer survivor, has said during news briefings that she supports funding research into using ivermectin as a cancer treatment.

“We should look at it. We should look at the benefits of it. We should not just speculate and guess. We should, as the state of Florida, with over a billion dollars in funding for cancer since Ron DeSantis took office, we should be looking into things in a generic form,” she said.

Ivermectin as a cancer treatment exploded in popularity in January 2025 after actor Mel Gibson suggested on Joe Rogan’s podcast that ivermectin cured three friends of advanced cancer. These claims have been widely refuted by cancer experts, who have publicly stated that there is no scientific evidence or clinical trial data to support them at this time.

So far, literature evaluating this drug for cancer in human clinical trials is scarce. However, some scientists are trying to determine whether ivermectin affects cancer outcomes. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have begun a preliminary study combining ivermectin with an immunotherapy drug for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

The concerns

Sunil Parikh, a professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at the Yale School of Public Health, has studied ivermectin for the treatment of malaria. He said making the medication available without a patient-specific prescription and physician input could have detrimental effects. He notes that when ivermectin is given for parasitic infections in tropical regions, it is administered at low doses. “When given by pharmacists, there would be no regulation on the dosage or amount that people would be taking,” he said.

“It’s not a completely benign drug,” he said. “It’s relatively well tolerated, but it’s not without side effects.”

The side effects include gastrointestinal issues and nervous system problems, he said. “I will also note that we don’t know how safe ivermectin is in the early stages of pregnancy,” he added.

Parikh’s biggest concern is that relying on ivermectin may delay patients’ access to proven treatments, raising the risk of prolonged illness and more severe disease.

“It would be very unfortunate if people were to delay cancer treatment or use this as a way to treat their cancer instead of trying things we have that we know work,” he said.

Lynn Lafferty, an assistant clinical professor at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Pharmacy, said Florida’s bill requires pharmacists to provide customers with written information on the indications and contraindications for ivermectin and the appropriate dosage. She said she has seen studies showing benefits from ivermectin for COVID and other illnesses.

Currently, many independent pharmacies don’t stock the medication or have only small quantities for those with prescriptions. The average cost for 20 tablets is $114 to $157.

Lafferty said she’s only dispensed ivermectin once. “We don’t see that many parasite cases,” she said.

If studies find the drug effective in treating cancer, she expects to see increased demand and, likely, more pharmacies selling it. “It takes time for a product to go through research and approval,” she said. “They are starting studies now, which is good.”

The Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, (SB 1756) and House versions of the Medical Freedom bill (HB 917) have begun being heard in legislative committees.

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