KZN hospital raided for Ivermectin

THE SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) and the police raided a KwaZulu-Natal hospital in search of illegal Ivermectin tablets yesterday.

The search came after police arrested a man at King Shaka International Airport in connection with trafficking a stash of the medication valued at R100 000.

Sahpra spokesperson Yuven Gounden said the raid to search for Ivermectin, which has been promoted widely on social media as a potential prophylaxis and treatment for the Covid-19 virus, was not connected to the arrest of the man earlier in the day.

Sahpra said on Wednesday that Ivermectin was not registered as a drug for humans, although doctors could use a Section 21 application in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act to apply to dispense it as an unregistered product for the treatment of patients with conditions such as scabies or head lice.

Gounden said Sahpra officials accompanied members of the SAPS on the raid but had not found Ivermectin on the premises.

Gounden said Sahpra would lay a charge against the hospital’s responsible pharmacist for allegedly violating the Medicines and Related Substances Act.

The hospital said it had been “visited” by Sahpra officials and the police to “investigate the current controversial drug Ivermectin”.

“We confirm that no such drug was found on the hospital premises. The hospital confirms that the matter has been referred to its attorneys.”

Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said a 43-year-old man appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court yesterday after he was arrested for being in possession of Ivermectin tablets with a R100 000 market value.

He was charged with being in possession of unregistered medicine and for importing medicine without a valid permit. “The man had just arrived in the country from Dubai. He was found with 2 464 tablets in his hand luggage at King Shaka International Airport,” she said.

SA Medical Association chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee said the association did not support the dispensing of unregistered medicines and medical practitioners who dispensed Ivermectin were taking the risk of being sued if patients suffered complications.

She said more research needed to be conducted on Ivermectin and Sahpra had welcomed further research into the drug’s efficacy.

“As a medical association, we cannot approve using Ivermectin that is registered for animal use on humans whether it is as a prophylactic or for acute infection because there is no standardised dose approved for humans,” she said.

“There is no First World country that we are aware of that has approved Ivermectin for the use of treating Covid19,” Coetzee said.

She said a coalition of African medical associations was also not aware of any approvals on the continent.

Department of Health deputy director-general Dr Anban Pillay said during a parliamentary health committee meeting yesterday that the idea of conducting a phase four clinical trial structure had been proposed during engagements with Sahpra.

“This would allow patients to access the drug. We would get a better handle on whether this product works and any safety issues around it,” Pillay said.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize dismissed allegations that the drug was not being approved because of other influences after questions from National Freedom Party MP Emam Shaik.

The latter has cited several countries and experts who approved of Ivermectin and said the only “problem” with the drug was that it was regarded as cheap.

Mkhize said the matter had been reviewed following several objections as well as concerns raised by Shaik in a letter in which he had allegedly threatened the government with court action.

Mkhize said there was no need for the matter to go to court.