A serving of ivermectin intended for horses (Image: Supplied)

Australians are using Facebook and Telegram groups to find out where to buy or get prescribed ivermectin, a livestock deworming drug that’s been promoted as COVID-19 treatment by former US president Donald Trump and anti-vaxxers.

Since the pandemic began, there’s been a demand for alternative treatments for COVID. For a while it was hydroxychloroquine. Now the attention has turned to ivermectin. Neither are approved for use in Australia to treat the virus. 

Despite a lack of evidence supporting its use after numerous studies, interest in the dewormer has soared. There’s a national shortage and a 10-fold increase in importation, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) told Guardian Australia. 

Its misuse can be harmful, according to the US Food and Drug Administration which warns of “skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, neurologic adverse events, sudden drop in blood pressure, severe skin rash potentially requiring hospitalisation and liver injury”.

Despite this, there are a number of Australian online communities where people discuss using it to treat COVID. Crikey has chosen not to name them to avoid spreading them further. People in these communities extol fringe studies or data and advise on how to get and use it — inspired by the likes of maverick federal MP Craig Kelly.

Ivermectin advocates offer a number of ways of obtaining it. Some suggest international websites where Australians can order it for delivery. (The TGA warns against buying from unverified websites as stores may sell counterfeit or poor quality pharmaceuticals.) Others recommend buying versions of it intended for animals from stores stocking veterinary goods, like a paste form of ivermectin created for horses.  

Members frequently direct others to an international website that hosts an index of more than a dozen Australian doctors they claim will prescribe ivermectin for the off-label treatment. Some of these doctors have previously featured in the media as being opposed to public health restrictions or vaccines.

“My doctor had no idea … I got script anyway,” one user wrote. “I took one treatment to see if I would have any side effects etc. Nothing.”

Group members share their unverified experiences of using or preparing to use the drug. People post pictures of medicine they’ve bought, asking how to use it or when to start taking it. Some use code, saying they’re using it for their “horse”.

A prospective ivermectin user in a Facebook group

Medical advice is freely shared, despite a lack of evidence that group members are trained or qualified. 

One user responds to a message listing ivermectin precautions saying: “I’m breastfeeding and have asthma, looks like no ivermectin for me.”

Another responds: “Perhaps no ivermectin but perhaps hydroxychloroquine.” 

Others say they’ve already treated themselves with it, claiming to have fixed other illnesses.

Group members who often profess to be scared of vaccines seem to think buying and using the drug is low risk.

“Don’t buy heaps. Just enough for your family. Not for others. What have you got to lose?” a group administrator counsels.