The state House could vote Wednesday to make the medication Ivermectin available at pharmacies without a prescription, after the bill passed two committee votes Tuesday.
Ivermectin is typically used to treat parasitic worms, but it's become popular for other illnesses like COVID-19 — even though the FDA hasn't approved it for those purposes.
Rep. Jonathan Almond, R-Cabarrus, says his bill would make the medication more affordable, because patients wouldn't need to see a doctor first.
"Ivermectin has been around," he said. "It's a safe, affordable drug. It was discovered in the 1970s. It was approved for human use in 1987."
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