Four inmates at a northwest Arkansas jail sued the facility and its doctor Thursday, alleging that they were unknowingly prescribed ivermectin to treat covid-19. Health officials have warned that the anti-parasitic drug should not be used to treat infections with the coronavirus.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the detainees against the Washington County jail, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and physician Robert Karas.
The inmates said they were never told ivermectin was among the medications they had been given. They said they were given the drug in August after testing positive, according to the lawsuit.
The anti-parasitic drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use by people and animals for some worms, head lice and skin conditions but not for treating covid-19. Side effects for the drug include skin rash, nausea and vomiting. According to the lawsuit, the four inmates suffered vision issues, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Karas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has previously said no inmates were forced to take the drug. Karas has said he began giving ivermectin at the jail in November 2020. In a September letter sent by his attorney, Karas told a Medical Board investigator that 254 inmates at the jail had been treated with ivermectin.
The state Medical Board has been investigating complaints against Karas over the jail’s use of ivermectin, and is expected to discuss the investigation at its February meeting.
Despite warnings from professional bodies including American Medical Association, the American Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the drug has been touted by Republican lawmakers in Arkansas and other states as a potential treatment for covid-19.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the detainees against the Washington County jail, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and physician Robert Karas.
The inmates said they were never told ivermectin was among the medications they had been given. They said they were given the drug in August after testing positive, according to the lawsuit.
The anti-parasitic drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use by people and animals for some worms, head lice and skin conditions but not for treating covid-19. Side effects for the drug include skin rash, nausea and vomiting. According to the lawsuit, the four inmates suffered vision issues, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Karas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has previously said no inmates were forced to take the drug. Karas has said he began giving ivermectin at the jail in November 2020. In a September letter sent by his attorney, Karas told a Medical Board investigator that 254 inmates at the jail had been treated with ivermectin.
The state Medical Board has been investigating complaints against Karas over the jail’s use of ivermectin, and is expected to discuss the investigation at its February meeting.
Despite warnings from professional bodies including American Medical Association, the American Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the drug has been touted by Republican lawmakers in Arkansas and other states as a potential treatment for covid-19.
