The Ohio state Senate passed a bill earlier this week that will allow patients to force hospitals to administer drugs for off-label use.
The passage of the bill comes after a years-long effort by Republican lawmakers in the state to expand COVID-19 patients’ access to drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, according to reporting from the Ohio Capital Journal.
Multiple high-profile conservatives — including President-elect Trump — touted both drugs as alternative treatments for COVID-19.
However, research shows that the drugs are ineffective in treating the disease and preventing hospitalizations. Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used to deworm animals, and hydroxychloroquine is a medication used to treat malaria.
Under the bill, a prescriber can write a prescription for off-label use of a drug as long as they have the patient’s permission, anyone holding a patient’s power of attorney or in the case of minors, their parent’s or guardian’s permission.
Hospitals, in-patient facilities and the pharmacists working within them are also required to dispense drugs for off-label use during public health emergencies as part of the bill.
There are some caveats to the proposed rule, however, that would enable a prescriber to say no to issuing a drug for off-label use.
Pharmacists, hospitals or inpatient facilities don’t have to issue drugs for off-label use if they have a “moral, ethical, or religious belief or conviction” that conflicts with dispensing a medication off label.
They are not required to administer off-label medication if they have an “objective, good faith, and scientific” objection to the drug being used for anything other than what it is intended for, or if a pharmacist has documented that a patient is allergic to the drug or it could cause a life-threatening drug interaction.
The bill will need to be approved by the Ohio House of Representatives before it can be sent to the governor.
