The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has released guidelines for the use of the anti-parasitic drug, Ivermectin, for the treatment of COVID-19.
The authority announced on Wednesday that it will be allowing the use of the drug in controlled compassionate circumstances to treat the virus.
This was in response to urgent appeals by healthcare practitioners and to curb the uncontrolled use of Ivermectin.
SAHPRA CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela says Ivermectin must be procured from a licenced manufacturer before it is prescribed to patients.
“It’s quite important for the public to realise that this compassionate access is put in place for a drug that has limited data about its safety and efficacy for the treatment of COVID-19. We don’t have a licenced manufacturer to bring in quality product.”
“We have put in a mechanism to ensure that the products that become available to the doctors are products whose safety we guarantee. It must be procured from a licenced manufacturer. We have a responsibility to ensure that products that are available in this country are quality and that is why the first tier says whoever brings it in must be licenced,” explains Semete-Makokotlela.
In the video below Semete-Makokotlela explains the guidelines:
