'Judges are not doctors': Ohio judge reverses colleague’s decision on use of Ivermectin to treat COVID

An Ohio judge has reversed his colleague's court order requiring a hospital to honor a patient prescription for Ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19.

According to The Washington Post, Butler County Judge Michael A. Oster Jr. delivered the ruling for the case involving a patient named Jeffrey Smith, who has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit at West Chester Hospital. The publication reports that Smith has been suffering from a severe case of COVID since July.

Ivermectin was reportedly considered as a last resort to treat his illness. Although Smith had a prescription, the hospital initially refused to administer the de-worming drug to him as it is normally used to treat livestock. Last month, a judge ruled in Smith's favor. Now, Oster has overturned that ruling. He explained the reason for his decision in the latest order filed on Monday, Sept. 6.

In his ruling, Oster argued that Smith's doctor failed to "provide 'convincing evidence' at a court hearing to show that the drug could significantly improve his condition."

"Based on the current evidence, Ivermectin is not effective as a treatment for COVID-19. … Even Plaintiff's own doctor could not say [that] continued use of Ivermectin would benefit [Jeffrey] Smith," Oster wrote in an order filed on Monday.

He added, "After considering all of the evidence presented in this case, there can be no doubt that the medical and scientific communities do not support the use of Ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19."

The latest Ivermectin controversy follows a public announcement from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA); The government agency urged individuals to refrain from using the drug as a form of treatment for COVID-19, noting drug is typically used to treat animals and is not appropriate for human consumption. The notice came after Mississippi officials noticed a surge in purchases of Ivermectin.