In a proposed bill in Ohio, hospitals might be forced to prescribe drugs like Ivermectin if the patients want them. Obviously politicians and patients know more than doctors.
In yet more legislation where Republican politicians are pandering to the gullible conspiracy loons that are their supporters, Kris Jordan and Ron Ferguson, (Republicans) have sponsored a House Bill in Ohio. This Bill (COVID-19 Health Care Professional-Patient Relationship Protection Act) will require boards of health to “promote and increase distribution” of drugs, such as ivermectin, to combat COVID-19.
The drugs mentioned in the bill include ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and budesonide. All of them are unapproved by the FDA as treatments to combat COVID-19. Mandated health care that contradicts evidence based medical practice is never going to be a good thing. But it keeps the gullible supporters happy.
This is the latest in several attempts to introduce this anti-science measure with Kris Jordan being behind previous attempts. They are also trying to block access to vaccines to Covid-19.
The medical director for infection prevention at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, Dr Donald Dumford has said, “There’s absolutely no benefit from ivermectin”. He went on to say, “If you would take ivermectin or take a sugar pill and you’re hoping to prevent COVID, you’re going to get just as much of an effect out of that sugar pill.”
Other dumb legislation
The Republicans are tapping into a rich seam of legislation that appeals to conspiracy nuts and the generally gullible.
Tennessee ‘chemtrail’ ban
In April 2024 Tennessee law makers banned chemtrails, presumably based on research done on YouTube.
Florida geoengineering ban
Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia has introduced a bill to ban geoengineering, a favourite distraction of climate change conspiracy theorists who think that ‘they’ are modifying the climate. Ironically they don’t get that ‘they’ is actually themselves by the emissions they contribute to. Under the phrasing of the bill, “the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, the weather, or the intensity of sunlight is prohibited”, might be applied to any pollution source.