DOH: Only hospitals with permit to use ivermectin can distribute the drug

MANILA, Philippines — Only the hospitals that were given a compassionate special permit (CSP) to administer human-grade ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment are allowed to distribute the drug, the Department of Health (DOH) reiterated on Wednesday.

The statement came after Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta and Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor announced that they will distribute compounded ivermectin “to those in dire need” of the controversial product.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the five hospitals that were granted CSPs to use ivermectin have gone through proper regulatory processes with the Food and Drug Administration.

“Bukod dito sa mga hospital na nakakuha ng CSP ay wala pang iba na pwedeng magdistribute o pwedeng magpamigay ng gamot na ito dahil nga hindi pa ito rehistrado,” she said in an online press briefing.

(Aside from these hospitals that were granted CSPs, there are no other individuals who can distribute this drug because it is not yet registered.)

On Tuesday, Marcoleta and Defensor said they will give away the investigational drug through an event they called “Ivermectin Pan-three,” wherein each beneficiary will get a minimum of three capsules or tablets of the medicine for free. The two lawmakers will formally launch the event on Thursday in Matandang (Old) Balara in Quezon City.

Vergeire said the DOH has heard of this plan by the two congressmen.

However, the health official told the public that the COVID-19 Living CPG Reviewers, a group of medical societies wherein the DOH and the FDA are part of, earlier noted that the evidence on the efficacy of ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment is still insufficient.

“There is that remark na very low ang quality of evidence (that the quality of evidence is low),” Vergeire said.

“Second, meron ding suggestion (there is also a suggestion) against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. This is a conditional recommendation from them because of the very low quality of evidence found across the globe,” she added.

Vergeire said the group has likewise advised against the use of ivermectin combined with an antibiotic called doxycycline for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Following a strong and consistent push from ivermectin proponents, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) earlier announced that the country will conduct clinical trials to determine if the drug can be used to treat COVID-19 patients.