THE Malacca health department, through its pharmacy enforcement branch, has carried out seven raids on the sale of unregistered ivermectin products as of September 10.

State health and anti-drugs committee chairman Rahmad Mariman said the raid involved clinics, pharmacies and online sales, with total seizure estimated at RM8,240.

“The sale of products not registered with the Health Ministry is a violation under Regulation 7(1)(a) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

“Until now, no ivermectin product has been approved for registration for human use or for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19. Continuous monitoring will be carried out on the advertising and sale of unregistered products such as ivermectin,” he said in a statement today.

Commenting further, Rahmad said the effectiveness of the use of ivermectin in the treatment and prevention of Covid-19 has not been proven clinically and even the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency has said that Ivermectin is registered by the Drug Control Authority as an anti-parasite drug and only used on animals.

“Consumers need to ensure that health products sold have a hologram security sticker and Product Registration Number before purchasing them. The product registration status can be checked by visiting the website or by contacting the National Pharmacy Call Centre directly at 1-800-88-6722.

“The public is also advised to report any sale of ivermectin on e-commerce sites or social media to the enforcement division so that appropriate action can be taken to curb the sale of unregistered ivermectin products,” he said. – Bernama, October 4, 2021.