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- Sahpra says it remains aligned to America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when it comes to the use of ivermectin.
- The authority has warned people to refrain from buying drugs from unauthorised dealers.
- Sahpra says the medical treatment of any disease should be overseen by medical professionals.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has again warned people against the use of ivermectin.
In a statement on Friday, the authority said its stance was aligned to that of the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that ivermectin did not have proven antiviral properties for Covid-19 treatment.
The FDA said it was aware of reports that some people were self-medicating with the drug and even using the animal formulation.
READ | SA professor agrees with FDA warning issued against use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 in humans
Earlier this year, Sahpra warned that using the drug without it having gone through scientific testing and protocols could impact people's health and lead to death.
CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela said:
Sahpra has registered Soolantra 10mg/g cream formulation, which contains ivermectin. The cream is for the topical treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory lesions of papulopustular rosacea in adult patients and it is not for Covid-19 treatment, it said.
It added that, like the FDA, it also warned against fake news and misinformation about the drug.
Sahpra added that the medical treatment of any disease should be overseen by medical professionals.
Semete-Makokotlela said the health authority's focus was on the health and well-being of the public and that it continued to engage the scientific and medical community to explore options for controlled and monitored access to reliable quality ivermectin-containing products for use by humans.
If you come across Covid-19 vaccination information that you do not trust, read Covid-19 vaccine myths debunked: Get the facts here. If you can't find the facts you're looking for, email us at the address mentioned in the article and we will verify the information with medical professionals.
