KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Alpro Pharmacy has been keeping tabs on the ongoing conversations around the potential use of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin in treating Covid-19 patients in Malaysia. 

Currently, no human use of ivermectin is approved and registered in Malaysia.

All approved medications containing ivermectin in Malaysia is only for animal use. Its usage on the human body may cause negative effects as the dosage for animal use and human use varies significantly.  

As the largest prescription pharmacy chain in Malaysia, Alpro recognises the absolute necessity to caution the public against any form of self-medication and self-dosing with Ivermectin.  

Self-medicated ivermectin, in this context, might cause serious health complications and overdose. Potential health effects include allergic reactions, dizziness, seizures, coma, and even death. 

Misinformation that is being spread on this matter across online public forums and social media platforms are also alarming.

We would strongly advise the public to always only refer to verified sources of information like the Ministry of Health (MOH) or the World Health Organization (WHO) for information regarding treatment of Covid-19, ivermectin, or any other medications or drugs. 

At the moment, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved ivermectin for treating or preventing Covid-19 in humans, and the WHO only recommends the use of ivermectin in clinical trial settings, whereby patients are monitored closely by experienced clinicians and researchers for safety and efficacy.  

The efficacy of ivermectin in suppressing the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 among Covid-19 patients is still being clinically evaluated by MOH and the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR). The results from these clinical trials are due in September. 

Alpro strongly advocates for medication safety, and it urges the public to seek the professional advice of a pharmacist or a medical practitioner when dealing with any form of uncommon medication or drugs.  

Consultation with a professional pharmacist at any of Alpro’s 135 outlets is free. Alternatively, the public can also chat with a pharmacist via the e-pharmacy Whatsapp hotline at 019-7021923.