Re:Lesson of ivermectin: meta-analyses based on summary data...
by brandonmenc on Wednesday September 22, 2021 @09:13PM
(#28624134)
I agree that a doctor should not prescribe a drug that is going to interact dangerously with a patient's other medication. I also agree that a pharmacist should not fill a prescription if they know it will interact dangerously with the patient's other medication.
But I also don't know the dosage schedule doctors who are prescribing Ivermectin are using. They're probably using one from a research paper that they believe justifies its use to treat or prevent COVID. Those dosage schedules are afaict similar to how it's used to treat on-label conditions - take one dose every three months, or whatever.
It's pure speculation that doctors are out there writing prescriptions for dangerous dosages of Ivermectin.
However one thing for sure is that in lieu of a prescription, people are more likely to self-medicate with a dangerous formulation and dosage, ex: horse paste.
Administration of a P450 inhibitor will cause the levels of other medications in a person's blood to rise, and will cause some prodrugs to be ineffective due to reduced metabolism.
I can't even walk into a doctors' office and get prescribed Singulair, an allergy medication, without giving them a reason to believe that I need it. And if I was a doctor, I'd err on the side of caution, as well, when it comes to prescribing things I don't think my hypothetical patients need. Not only is it a question of ethics, it's also a question of legal liability and keeping a license to practice.