Manitoba feed supply business issues in-store ivermectin warning
A Manitoba farm supply store is concerned about people misusing a drug meant to deworm horses.
The false belief ivermectin can be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 has prompted Health Canada to issue a warning to Canadians. It’s urging people to stop using the veterinary version of the drug immediately or risk severe illness or death.
“Clearly, you can see that it says oral paste for horses,” said Glenn Miller, owner of Anola Feed and Farm Supply.
Growing demand for the parasite-fighting product spurred him to put up a warning to customers: the veterinary version of the drug he sells is not meant for human consumption.
“It’s for veterinary use,” Miller said. “I would feel horrible if somebody would take something and get sick.”
The human version of the drug is approved for sale and can be used to treat parasitic worm infections in people but it’s available by prescription only.
Both versions have been falsely heralded as a drug that can treat or prevent COVID-19, but Miller said warnings from health experts not to consume ivermectin haven’t stopped people from seeking it out.
“The staff has actually noticed that more and more inquiries are actually coming in,” he said. “People are asking and it’s pretty clear that they’re not horse people or not animal people, I guess you could say.”
The demand for ivermectin prompted a warning this week from Health Canada not to use either the veterinary or human drug versions to prevent or treat COVID-19.
“There is no evidence that ivermectin in either formulation is safe or effective when used for those purposes,” the warning reads.
It’s a message Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, shared on Monday.
“Things like ivermectin, we have very solid studies showing that there is no benefit from using this medication for the treatment of COVID-19,” Roussin said.
According to Health Canada, using the veterinary version can result in serious illness especially at high doses with the potential to cause vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, dizziness, seizures, coma or even death.
A message being echoed by pharmacists.
“Medications need to be used in the appropriate doses and the veterinary medication comes in a very different dosage and concentration than what we would use in humans,” said Tim Smith, co-founder of Simplicity Wellness, a health coaching and chronic disease management practice and Vice President of Pharmacists of Manitoba.
Smith said the demand is also causing shortages for people who need ivermectin for its intended purpose.
“There’s been a global surge in demand which has resulted in strains on the supply chain so right now it is unavailable from many different wholesalers,” Smith said.
Timothy Caulfield, a Canada Research Chair in health law and policy and professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, sees it as a phenomenon based largely on ideology.
“It really shows, I think, the power of conspiracy thinking,” Caulfield said.
Generally speaking, those embracing ivermectin are also skeptical of vaccines and public health measures, Caulfield said.
"Despite all of those expert opinions people are still taking this drug because they believe it will either prevent or treat COVID,” he said. “It’s really a remarkable phenomenon.”
Miller said he doesn’t want to sell ivermectin to people who want to use it for the wrong reason.
”We haven’t got to that point yet but if it does come to that we will take it off the shelf and have it by request only,” he said.
The Manitoba Poison Centre has not seen an increase in calls related to ivermectin exposure and isn’t aware of anyone falling ill because they’ve taken it to treat COVID-19, a spokesperson for Shared Health said.
Health experts are reminding people getting vaccinated, not taking ivermectin, is the best way to reduce severe outcomes from COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Election deniers: West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who still dispute 2020 election
When West Virginia Republicans vote in Tuesday's primary, they will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges that U.S. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.