As per the notification published on 3 September 2021, an instant cease to the dispensing, prescribing, and usage of ivermectin for prevention or treatment of coronavirus disease outside of a clinical trial has been proposed in a joint statement by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and American Medical Association (AMA).

The anthelmintic medication ivermectin has been found to be detrimental to people infected with SARS-CoV-2. There has been an exponential rise in ivermectin's outpatient prescribing and dispensing over the past few months. This anti-parasitic drug is not authorized to prevent or treat coronavirus disease. However, this has not ceased individuals from asking for it and few clinicians from prescribing it.

Ivermectin's prescriptions have peaked during the pandemic, and cases of ivermectin misuse and overdose have also increased. This has led the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to publish a warning to healthcare professionals. The data demonstrate that calls to the poison control centers due to ivermectin usage have elevated fivefold when compared to the pre-pandemic baseline. Vomiting and nausea are the adverse effects of using ivermectin.

Using overdose of ivermectin may elicit hypotension and neurologic effects like hallucinations, reduced consciousness, coma, confusion, death, and seizures. World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, and Merck (manufacturer of ivermectin) have all reported that there is not sufficient evidence for supporting ivermectin usage to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection. For managing people suffering from coronavirus disease, both US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines oppose ivermectin use.

According to AMA, APhA and ASHP,  the doctors, pharmacists, and other prescribers should guide people against ivermectin usage outside of FDA-approved indications and guidance, whether intended for utilization in animals or humans, as well as buying ivermectin from the online stores. For limiting the spread of coronavirus disease, the most efficacious ways are to get vaccinated, wearing a face mask, staying at least six feet from others in public places, regularly washing hands, and avoiding large crowds of people. The eligible unvaccinated people should get vaccinated.