Polk County Commissioner Neil Combee said he\u2019s been prescribed hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin by a doctor and has been taking the drugs since April 1, 2020, with no problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner Bill Braswell said he is in support of Combee\u2019s letter to the Governor. Braswell told other news stations he took ivermectin, the prescription for humans, for nine months until he got vaccinated in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combee also mentioned Pepcid AC at last Friday\u2019s commission meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The over-the-counter heartburn medicine is a drug \u201cthe government knows\u201d mitigates COVID-19, Combee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The website for PEPCID says, similarly, \u201cPEPCID is not indicated for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combee wouldn\u2019t tell us what doctor prescribed him the medicine or provide the names of any local doctors who have endorsed the drug as a treatment against COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prescribing medications off-label could be illegal even for a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, it is illegal for pharmaceutical companies to promote their products for uses not approved by<\/strong> the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and corporations that market drugs for off-label indications may be subject to civil liability under the False Claims Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polk County Commission has drafted a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraging him to promote the drugs ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as treatment options for COVID-19 \u2014 even though the federal Food and Drug Administration, one drug maker\u2019s own website, and local health officials warn the drugs shouldn\u2019t be used to combat the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The commission is expected to vote Tuesday on whether the letter should be sent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the majority of commissioners voiced support for it Friday, Commissioner George Lindsey said sending such a letter is “far outside the Board of County Commissioners’ area of responsibility and expertise.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combee, who once served on the board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in an appointed role, told the Ledger earlier this summer that he “doesn’t trust the government.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Hal Escowitz, Lakeland Regional Health’s chief quality officer and chief medical informatics officer, told us the hospital system does not support the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “To date,\u00a0our analysis has identified no scientific basis to support the use of ivermectin as a potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19,” he wrote in an email. “In addition, there is a concerning lack of safety data.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Commissioner-Bill-Braswell.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1\")
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