Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC) has received multiple inquiries regarding the use of antiparasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
KRMC’s Clinical Pathways Committee, comprised of numerous medical professionals, does not support the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
The committee includes ICU physicians, hospitalists, pathologists, pharmacists, nursing staff, and respiratory therapists, who meet weekly to review the hospital’s protocols surrounding the treatment of COVID-19. The latest scientific data inform these protocols.
Various medical associations and regulatory groups recommend against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 in inpatient or outpatient settings. These groups include:
• Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
The drug’s manufacturer, Merck, does not recommend the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19, citing a lack of both safety data and evidence of clinical benefit.
KRMC relies on a range of medications to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Depending on the patient’s condition, these may include:
• Remdesivir
• Tocilizumab
• Corticosteroids
• Anticoagulant drugs
KRMC also uses monoclonal antibody therapy on an outpatient basis to treat COVID-positive individuals within ten days of symptom onset.
KRMC is committed to providing advanced, evidence-based medical care to its patients. KRMC’s Clinical Pathways Committee will continue to review the latest scientific developments in the treatment of COVID-19.