The Georgia House passed a sweeping public health bill Thursday — the final day of the legislative session — that would allow pharmacists to sell ivermectin without a doctor’s prescription. The bill now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp.
What’s happening: Senate Bill 440 passed the House on April 2, the last day Georgia lawmakers can vote before adjourning for the year. The bill touches dozens of areas of Georgia public health law, but one provision — allowing over-the-counter-style sales of ivermectin — drew the most opposition and ultimately made the bill a no-go for those who otherwise had no problem with it.
The ivermectin provision: Under the bill, a pharmacist could sell ivermectin to any patient 18 or older without a prescription. Before doing so, the pharmacist would need to screen the patient for health conditions that could make the drug unsafe, check what other medications the patient is taking, and look for possible drug interactions.
The product must be FDA-approved and sold in its original, properly labeled container. Customers could not grab it off a shelf — they would have to ask a pharmacist. The State Board of Pharmacy would be required to write rules spelling out exactly how pharmacists carry out these sales.
Why ivermectin is controversial: The FDA has approved ivermectin for humans only to treat certain parasitic infections and some skin conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the drug was widely promoted on social media and by some public figures as a cure for the virus. Large clinical trials found it did not work.
More recently, some have promoted ivermectin as a cancer treatment. No clinical evidence supports that claim, and the FDA has not approved it for cancer or any other condition beyond its labeled uses. The FDA has repeatedly warned the public against using ivermectin for unapproved purposes.
Other changes in the bill: SB 440 also eliminates several state advisory committees, including the Cancer Advisory Committee and the Electronic Database Review Advisory Committee. It removes the cancer control officer position from the Department of Public Health, repeals the Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Education Act, eliminates the Arthritis Prevention and Control Program, and dissolves the Georgia Commission for Saving the Cure. It also removes several reporting requirements from state health agencies and ends a requirement that people applying for a marriage license receive AIDS and HIV informational materials.
The context: The bill arrives as Georgians face mounting financial pressure from rising health care and health insurance costs, and as the state continues to rank among the least healthy in the nation.
Georgia consistently scores near the bottom in national health rankings, with high rates of chronic disease, limited access to care in rural areas, and one of the largest uninsured populations in the country. Against that backdrop, the provisions lawmakers chose to prioritize — loosening restrictions on a drug with no proven benefit for the conditions it is most often sought for, while eliminating cancer programs, health advisory committees, and a public health officer position — drew sharp criticism from health advocates who argued the legislature was moving in the wrong direction on health care.
The path forward: The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, if the governor signs it.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
