Wed Feb 16, 2022 – 2:23 pm EST
PIERRE, South Dakota (LifeSiteNews) – South Dakota lawmakers advanced a bill this week affirming that doctors can legally prescribe ivermectin, as Republican-led states across the country move to expand access to the increasingly popular COVID-19 treatment.
The South Dakota House passed HB 1267 in a 40-28 vote on Monday. The bill states a physician may “prescribe ivermectin to a person” in accordance with medical standards.
An earlier version that cleared the House Health and Human Services Committee would have allowed doctors to dispense the drug with or without a prescription.
One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Republican state Rep. Taffy Howard, said that the measure seeks to reaffirm doctors who may be reluctant to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID for fear of professional retaliation, the Grand Forks Herald reported.
“It’s a drug, just like any other drug that’s out there,” Howard said. “This is legislation ensuring doctors have the freedom to … treat their [patients] best.”
Only one Democrat voted for the bill, and 22 Republicans voted against it. HB 1267 now heads to the South Dakota Senate, which is also dominated by Republicans.
Several studies have shown that
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at LifeSite News
The views expressed in this news alert by the author do not directly represent that of The Christian Journal or its editors
