At Jean-Michel Le Guen, director of Médipac, doctor of pharmacy, orders for certain drugs have increased in recent weeks. In question: the epidemic peak linked to the delta variant. Significant increases have been observed for treatments against Covid-19, says the pharmaceutical wholesaler: “The increase in paracetamol has been calculated between around 2 and 2.5, the increase in azithromycin has been approximately multiplied by 10, and ivermectin by 10 as well. But that’s not a lot, there are few boxes left compared to the number of Covid cases we have had in Polynesia ”.
According to the council of the medical order, the taote have the right, in principle, to prescribe ivermectin, in particular to treat scabies. According to the Vidal dictionary, the essential tool for health professionals, it is indicated in the curative treatment of infections caused by certain parasites. In the case of treatment for Covid, patients must have been informed of the effects, benefits and risks involved. “The problem is, you don’t use a drug if you don’t have proof that it works because it could be more dangerous than anything else. Especially since for ivermectin, some professionals recommend very high dosages, which are beyond the Marketing Authorizations. (marketing authorizations, Editor’s note) current for antiparasitics, so we do not know the effects of high doses of these drugs ” explains Henri-Pierre Mallet, epidemiologist doctor.
In pharmacies, a box of ivermectin costs 1,570 Fcfp. Prescriptions “without marketing authorization” are the sole responsibility of the prescriber and are not reimbursed by health insurance. “The pharmacist has the right to refuse the prescription. In this case, he explains it to the patient and he must inform the prescriber. In the second case, the pharmacist has the right to dispense without a Marketing Authorization, but he must recall the usual remarks, that is to say that the drug without a Marketing Authorization has been prescribed and dispensed exceptionally to the patient ” specifies Amaury Sacault, doctor of pharmacy.
On Wednesday, during the weekly health press point, the Health department presented the results of 14 clinical studies. All have concluded for the time being that ivermectin is not effective against Covid for hospitalized or outpatient patients.
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