By Rita Cook
AUSTIN – This week in Austin we have learned Austin lawmakers can get the work done quick if they want to get it done.
The word of the week; ivermectin.
We first learned that word during the COVID drama.
And for all those who are against the use of over-the-counter ivermectin because the “doctor or pharmacists” said so pay attention to the other side of the argument.
For as many people I know against this drug being OTC, I personally know the same number who have praised their pharmacist or doctor for its use during COVID and beyond.
House Bill 25 is to allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin over the counter with no prescription required.
Last week it quickly passed out of the Texas House during the 89th Legislature Special Session.
The bill then went straight to the Senate and then to the governor’s desk in one afternoon.
HB 25 was filed by State Rep. Joanne Shofner (R-Nacogdoches) and was approved along party lines.
Shofner said “It’s important for rural constituents to have autonomy and ease of access to important and inexpensive drugs that they might need.”
She said she believed ivermectin needs to be brought into the spotlight so Texans can have “medical freedom, to be able to choose the medicine that they want to be able to take.”
HB 25 will also protect pharmacists from civil, criminal, or disciplinary action regarding ivermectin usage.
Republicans in Austin indicated the law is needed because pharmacists are refusing to fill ivermectin prescriptions.
The Democrats are arguing ivermectin without a doctor’s consent poses medical risks.
Democratic State Rep. Suleman Lalani from Sugar Land said, “By passing this bill we are legitimizing the pseudoscience and disregarding the overwhelming weight of medical evidence.”
He added “You are turning your back on the patient-physician relationship.”
The problem with that comment, however, many Texans turned their back on the patient-physician relationship some years ago during the COVID chaos.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists ivermectin as a drug “used to treat certain parasitic diseases in humans and livestock.”
There were doctors like Dr. Zeke Silva, who spoke on behalf of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), opposing the bill last week.
The TMA is one of the 2,025 lobbying groups in Texas; it is not to their benefit if ivermectin is an OTC drug.
According to https://texaslegislativeadvisors.com/lobbying-the-texas-legislature/ there are now 11 lobbyists for every one Texas legislator, which means Texans need to pay attention to both sides of the aisle and who is putting campaign dollars in for politicians and what those politicians are voting to pass or not pass during legislative sessions.
Health care and insurance is one of the most influential and well-funded lobbying players in Texas.
In the case of Lalani as an example, https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=54298294&default=candidate indicates this lobbyist group constitutes the third largest sector of his donors at $58,675.
Of course, as with ALL medication, there are side effects. In this case, according to the Mayo Clinic, ivermectin can cause muscle pain, dizziness, and seizures and like with many drugs overdosing can be fatal.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) said “House Bill 25 represents a promising step toward greater medical freedom and choice for Texans by increasing access to ivermectin intended for human use. This would bring Texas in alignment with other states that allow residents to obtain ivermectin without the permission of a doctor.”
Four other states have already passed laws allowing for OTC distribution of ivermectin. Tennessee passed its law in 2022. In 2025 Arkansas, Idaho and Louisiana followed suit.
Along with Texas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia, Missouri, and South Carolina all have legislation currently pending regarding OTC ivermectin.
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
