…by actually looking at data. Imagine that. And on October 14, he issued a lengthy advisory letter indicating that the use of Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin in the early treatment of COVID-19 was just fine, as long as ordinary informed consent was given. In plain English, doctors and patients are free to do what doctors and patients are supposed to do – discuss treatment options and proceed when they agree. The Governator and Howard Stern be damned!
The short story is that AG Peterson was asked by Dannette Smith, the CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services if it was “unlawful” for doctors to prescribe HCQ or Ivermectin as early treatment or prophylaxis for COVID-19. Ultimately the AG said, “No.” He could have told her it was a stupid question and been completely correct. After all, physicians are supposed to make decisions in the best interest of their patients. It’s not up to bureaucrats.
A lot of prescriptions are for “off-label” uses for drugs. As an anesthesiologist/intensivist, I can point to dozens, if not hundreds, of times I used a medication outside of the list of things the FDA approved it for. And that’s just because my memory of thirty-six years in the trade isn’t that detailed.
Drug companies spend megabucks to get drugs approved for use for “something.” Once they’re approved, lots of other uses are discovered. If there appears to be enough money in them, the drug company will sponsor new studies. Otherwise, doctors will simply find new ways to use the drugs because of what has been observed. These are called “off-label” uses, and often become more important than the original uses.