AG Wilson says doctors prescribing alternative drugs to treat COVID-19 is OK

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WMBF) - Attorney General Alan Wilson said Friday South Carolina doctors have the authority to prescribe “off-label” drugs to treat COVID-19, in his opinion.

“Our doctors, as well as their patients, need to know that doctors have the right to make important medical decisions, as long as they have the informed consent of their patients. In fighting COVID, the doctor should be given the broadest possible leeway,” Wilson said.

Sen. Shane Martin and Rep. Bill Taylor requested the opinion, asking whether South Carolina law allows doctors to prescribe Ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine or other off-label drugs for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

Wilson answered that as long as they have the informed consent of their patients, doctors have the authority to provide “off-label” medications in general.

The Attorney General continued by saying it is beyond the office’s expertise to comment on whether “off-label” medications are appropriate for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 specifically. However, in South Carolina, “state law strongly protects the medical judgment of the physician in this circumstance. It is clear that an attending physician possesses especially broad discretion to prescribe what he or she deems the appropriate medication in a given situation.”

It is also important to note that the South Carolina General Assembly passed a Joint Resolution in 2021 providing limited immunity to physicians who prescribe off-label drugs for COVID-19.

You can read the opinion below.

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