The Korean Pharmaceutical Association (Chairman Dae-up Kim) has warned its members about selling Chloroquine, Dexamethasone, and Ivermectin without caution.
On the 4th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) asked the Pharmaceutical Association to comply with the permission to sell those drugs while the media said that the number of cases of purchasing Chloroquine, Dexamethasone, and Ivermectin as a household medicine for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 is increasing.
“There are a lot of inquiries about the purchase of Hydroxychloroquine and Dexamethasone from pharmacies in a region without separation of dispensary from medical services. We hope that pharmacies in the region will be aware of that,” the Korean Pharmaceutical Association told members.
In an official letter, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association also delivered caution on the veterinary anti-parasite drug Ivermectin, which was recently introduced as a study that it could reduce the risk of COVID-19 death.
The Korean Pharmaceutical Association said, “There may be inquiries about purchasing Ivermectin products at pharmacies due to the study of foreign clinical trial results that Ivermectin has the effect of lowering the fatality rate of COVID-19 by 80%,” and added, “Ivermectin has been approved and manufactured for the purpose of antiparasitic drugs for animals such as dogs and pigs, and cannot be sold to humans other than permission, so please be careful.”
They also provided recommendations for Chloroquine and Dexamethasone drugs.
“In the US, UK, WHO, and South Korea have not been recognized Hydroxychloroquine’s effectiveness in preventing and treating COVID-19, and it can have serious side effects on the heart. We recommend that it should not be prepared and sold to prevent and treat COVID-19.”
“Dexamethasone is limitedly used for some COVID-19 serious patients,” they said. “We also recommend not to prepare and sell Dexamethasone for preventing and treating COVID-19 other than these uses.”
Furthermore, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association added, “As a pharmaceutical expert, we ask you to comply with the label information when selling medicines and to be careful not to sell them to consumers who hear wrong information.”
