Arkansas detention center doctor is treating COVID positive inmates with cow deworming drug FDA warns is dangerous – as people in Oklahoma flock to feed stores to buy it
A jail doctor in Washington County, Arkansas, has been using an animal deworming drug to treat inmates with Covid-19 even though the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has specifically warned against it.
Ivermectin is often used as a dewormer in animals including cows and horses, and is not recommended for treating the virus. The FDA said it 'can cause serious harm'.
During a finance and budget committee meeting for Washington County on Tuesday night the jail's physician Dr Rob Karas asked for a 10 per cent increase in the medical services contract, even after the county sheriff confirmed that the jail health provider had been prescribing the drug.
Dr Karas has faced calls to resign over the revelation.
PICTURED: An ivermectin prescription given to a Washington County employee. A jail in the Arkansas county has been using the anti-parasite drug to treat inmates with Covid-19 even though the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has specifically warned against it
Dr Rob Karas (pictured) asked for a 10 per cent increase in the medical services contract during the meeting after the county sheriff confirmed that the jail health provider had been prescribing the drug
County-elected Justice of the Peace Eva Madison brought the issue back up towards the end of the meeting after jail officials presented their 2022 budget. 'I learned today that Dr Karas is giving ivermectin - cow dewormer - to the inmates at the jail,' she said.
Madison told members of the Washington County quorum court - the county's governing body - that a jail official and county employee, who asked to stay anonymous, told her they had been sent to the jail's clinic to get tested for Covid-19.
When the unidentified person tested negative they told Madison they were given a $76 prescription for ivermectin, as reported by CBS News.
'They were concerned about the prescription, asked their primary care physician about it and the doctor told him to 'throw that in the trash,' she said.
'(The person) tested negative, was given a prescription for ivermectin, was told to go to Dr Karas's pharmacy just off campus to have it filled,' Madison told the committee.
She added: 'He's out $76 because of Dr Karas prescribing dewormer to a county employee for treatment of a condition that he didn't have.
'The employee had the good fortune to have a physician that he could go to and ask for a second opinion. Our inmates do not have that choice.'
Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder did not say how many inmates at the 710-bed facility had been given ivermectin and defended Dr Karas, who has been prescribing the medication.
County-elected Justice of the Peace Eva Madison (left) called on the committee to replace Dr Karas. 'I think we need to reevaluate who we're using,' she said at a finance and budget committee meeting for Washington County on Tuesday night
'Whatever a doctor prescribes, that is not in my bailiwick,' Helder told the committee. He also did not immediately respond to a call from the Associated Press.
Madison called on the committee to replace Dr Karas. 'I think we need to reevaluate who we're using,' she said.
She questioned: 'Are we allowing him to effectively experiment on our detainees at our jail with no oversight?'
Madison spoke to Dr Karas herself and told the committee that the jail's health provider 'was not at all concerned that he was prescribing medication to inmates that is not authorized by the FDA'.
'He cited to me an NIH study which I read - that the NIH did not take a position because they said there was not enough research. In addition, he cited me to some organization that is a little bit suspect,' she added.
When Madison asked Dr Karas, 'So you're going to follow a website over what the FDA says?' he replied by saying 'yes'.
Madison (pictured) said: 'It's very disturbing to me that that's the level of care we're providing to folks down at the jail'
The Justice of Peace told the committee Dr Karas said he was taking ivermectin himself and had members of his family on the drug.
'It's very disturbing to me that that's the level of medical care that we're providing to folks down at the jail,' Madison said before walking off the panel.
Meanwhile, Helder reported at the meeting that the jail has had zero inmate deaths from the coronavirus. Jail officials said inmates have also been offered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Department of Corrections denied Madison's claims and said that none of the jail's inmates who were administered ivermectin were state prisoners being held by the facility.
Spokeswoman Cindy Murphy said the department and its medical services provider are not giving ivermectin to any of its inmates.
The FDA has approved the anti-parasite drug in both people and animals for some parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions. But the agency has not approved its use fo treating or preventing Covid in humans.
'Ivermectin is not an anti-viral drug,' the FDA said, adding that the formula can be 'highly toxic' to humans.
Misinformation and unsubstantiated claims about ivermectin have spread widely on social media
PICTURED: Tablets of Ivermectin. The medicine was authorized by the FDA in both people and animals for some parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions. But the agency has not approved its use fo treating or preventing Covid in humans
Ivermectin is often used on horses and cows to treat against parasites in livestock
However, misinformation and unsubstantiated claims have spread widely on social media and the FDA said it has received 'multiple reports of people whose use of the drug has required them to seek medical help or hospitalization,' according to CBS News.
The FDA took to Twitter themselves and posted an article titled Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat Or Prevent Covid-19 with a caption that read: 'You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it.'
Merck, the company that makes ivermectin, also said in February that there is 'no scientific basis for a potential therapeutic effect against Covid-19' and that the majority of studies about the drug's potential effect on Covid have a 'concerning lack of safety data,' CBS News reported.
But Dr Karas and his practice Karas Health Care have been promoting the drug for months. On July 16 the practice posted to Facebook: 'If anybody you know test positive send them our way and we'll get them started on doxy, singular, ivermectin, vitamin d, vitamin c and zinc.'
The post was flagged by Facebook with a message that said: 'Some unapproved COVID-19 treatments may cause serious harm.'
Arkansas is not the only state in an ivermectin crisis. In Oklahoma, the drug is flying off store shelves despite multiple warnings from the FDA.
Dr Mary Clarke with the Oklahoma State Medical Association told Oklahoma News 4 that ivermectin could lead to long-term health problems.
She told the local news station that there are two versions of the dewormer. 'One is human grade, but it's for parasite infections,' she said.
'Twenty years ago was the last time that I've used ivermectin on a human,' she added.
Oklahoma News 4 contacted 12 Tractor Supply stores around the state and reported that they were all out of ivermectin and one store even said there was none left in stock even though they had 'please don't eat' signs up.
Since May there have been 10 local poison calls related to the drug, according to Oklahoma News 4. Diarrhea and vomiting are two more common, minor side effects of the many someone could experience.
'It could be dizziness, cardiac rhythm problems, blood pressure issues, primarily low blood pressure. Especially mix with some other medications,' Dr Clarke said.
'There is no dose. There’s no dose for this because there’s no evidence that this is going to work,' she added.
Mississippi health officials also released a statement on Friday warning against taking the drug.
'Animal drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be highly toxic in humans,' wrote Dr Paul Byers, state epidemiologist.
'Some of the symptoms associated with ivermectin toxicity include rash, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neurologic disorders, and potentially severe hepatitis requiring hospitalization.'
The medication is purchased at livestock supply centers, where a prescription is not required since it is meant for large animals.
Mississippi's Department of Health reported zero hospitalizations due to the drug, though one person who called was recommended to seek out further treatment.
