Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Bill Allowing Controversial Ivermectin Drug to Be Sold Over the Counter

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas. Photo via Houston Public Media

The drug Ivermectin became famous and controversial in 2020, 2021 and subsequent years because of its use as a treatment for symptoms related to COVID-19 and similar health problems after many years of being relegated to the background.

The drug is often utilized because of its effectiveness against parasites, rosacea, and head lice. It is also used to kill roundworms and other forms of worms in horses, dogs, cows, bulls, pigs, sheep and goats among other animals.

On Friday, Houston Public Media, a publication of the University of Houston, shared the news that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a sweeping change to the way the drug can be accessed, signing a massive bill into law that includes a provision allowing for Ivermectin to be sold over the counter.

House Bill 25 Signed by Gov. Greg Abbott

Abbott signed the bill on Wednesday that will allow Texas pharmacies to sell the drug without a prescription.

Abbott is a supporter of the controversial drug and took time to address it in a special session call among three additional items on his agenda in August.

The bill, also known as HB 25, was sponsored by Texas Representative Joanne Shofner, a Repulican from Nacogdoches, Texas.

She believes the drug has gotten a bad rap based on the positive news stories and personal interest stories she has heard regarding it.

“Unfortunately it was very very politicized, as a horse drug, et cetera, which is so demeaning to the people around the world who are dependent on this drug for survival in developing countries,” she said during Gov. Abbott’s special session.

How Ivermectin was Originally Discovered

Ivermectin was discovered in the late-1970s and is a dihydro derivative of avermectin, which originates from a microorganism isolated at the Kitsato Institute in Tokyo, Japan from Japanese soil.

It was originally introduced as a veterinary drug which its supporters often say accounts for its poor public image in recent years as COVID-19 vaccine supporters and supporters of alternative therapies sparred over treatment options, and access to alternative treatment options.

“It was quickly discovered to be ideal in combating two of the world’s most devastating and disfiguring diseases which have plagued the world’s poor throughout the tropics for centuries,” editor Satoshi Omura said in the Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B Physical and Biological Sciences medical journal.

Merck drug company scientist William C. Campbell also helped develop the drug through the company’s partnership with the Japanese Institute.

Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana and Tennessee have also passed similar bills allowing the sale of ivermectin in an over-the-counter fashion.

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Full information about the drug can be read here. Consult a health professional if you have any questions. I personally recommend trying Black Seed Oil for day-to-day maintenance and for killing parasites and other types of pathogens. 

Learn more about Black Seed Oil’s bevy of uses here or purchase a cold-pressed, organic bottle of Black Seed Oil here. 

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