The shortage of ivermectin experienced by people intending to buy for non-COVID purposes pushed the Canadian government to limit people from purchasing the said drug.
The use of ivermectin against COVID-19 was recently flagged by Health Canada. According to the health agency, the antiparasitic drug should not be regarded as a treatment against the coronavirus.
Ivermectin in High Demand; Canada Limits Purchase Until Further Notice
Ivermectin has been a topic for studies and numerous debates since the first surge of the pandemic. The livestock drug was initially developed as an antiparasitic treatment. It was even considered as a solution to river blindness and other medical concerns, proving ivermectin to be safe on a case-to-case basis.
In Canada, an ivermectin shortage has been reported due to the global demand but for reasons other than livestock care. Many countries considered the antiparasitic drug to be a new and effective solution against COVID-19, and people are on a rampage to harvest each dose of the medicine they can get to cure the coronavirus.
Unfortunately, there is no compelling proof or even a comprehensive study that confirms the efficacy of the veterinary drug against pandemic pathogens. The shortage of ivermectin could cause unexpected chaos in the medical industry. The depletion of the supply may put both animal and human patients at risk of parasitic inflictions and other severe damages that ivermectin can cure.
Canadian Pharmacists Association expert Barry Power said in a CBC report that the unusual medication of COVID-19 through ivermectin puts people at risk of infections and other conditions in the worst possible way.
The expert emphasized that people should think twice before obtaining or even considering the use of the specified livestock medication, as its efficacy has nothing to offer against COVID-19. The scientific community already addressed the matter, yet people still hope that the antiparasitic drug can combat the coronavirus.
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Do Not Use Ivermectin for COVID-19 Treatment
The purchasing of drugs was already limited throughout Canada. The limitation was implemented since the first quarter of the year because of a surge in global demand and will continue for the coming months until the abnormal bids of ivermectin return to typical rates.
Health Canada released an advisory regarding the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The agency's statement persuades people to stop using the antiparasitic drug to treat the coronavirus. This announcement is targeting the people who are considering injection or ingestion of the drug. The advisory also emphasized that ivermectin has a veterinary form that is not suited for human application.
The ivermectin demand spiked in the last quarter of 2020, even if experts already explained that the drug has no correlation with COVID-19. Few studies have already emerged and attempted to prove that ivermectin contains underlying properties to fight the coronavirus. However, these studies lack evidence, with limited scientific data, or just mere bloated desperation that resulted in a shameful scientific scandal.
University of Alberta expert Dr. Lynora Saxinger emphasized that the initial studies of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 were not as promising as it looks due to unreliable, limited data. Despite the drug's anomalies and disproved efficacy, more of the population in many countries are still fond of considering and even using ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
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