The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says the medical community must await guidance from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) before using Ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
SAMA says until the use of Ivermectin in humans for COVID-19 is declared safe by the Authority, it cannot advise doctors or other healthcare workers to use it.
Chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee says, despite all the hype, convincing clinical evidence is yet to emerge from current trials.
They urged doctors not to buy and sell unregistered products and says those who prescribe it to patients can be held personally liable if the drug harms the patient and that their medical insurance cover may be repudiated.
Before any medicine can be manufactured, sold or used in South Africa, it must be approved for use by SAHPRA.
Ivermectin has not yet been approved for use in humans in South Africa.
Its efficacy in COVID-19 is still in question and more studies are required.
SAMA urges SAHPRA to facilitate registration of Ivermectin, allowing the importation and/or manufacture of the drug with its use limited strictly to approved clinical trials.
