Banner Health's poison control center saw 10 cases of ivermectin poisoning in August, some requiring hospitalization.
Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel said the parasite medicine is in clinical trials to learn its value in treating high-risk COVID-19 cases.
"But at this time there are no clear findings that have been released that confirm that this drug is safe or an effective form of treatment or prophylaxis for COVID. For this reason, it is not a drug that Banner Health will be prescribing for treatment of COVID," Bessel said.
Though it is FDA-approved in humans for certain limited uses, ivermectin is dangerous or even deadly in livestock-sized doses and can cause harmful drug interactions even in smaller amounts.
→ Phoenix Livestock Store Keeps Selling Out Of Ivermectin Horse Dewormer
