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The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is investigating the illegal sale and supply of ivermectin linked to a recent incident where an elderly woman was hospitalised after taking the drug.

According to The Straits Times, no further details of the investigation were given.

Church friends convinced her to take ivermectin

The woman involved has been identified by ST as 65-year-old Wong Lee Tak.

Wong was hospitalised on Oct. 1, after consuming ivermectin on the advice of church friends, who told her it protected her from Covid-19.

Her church friends allegedly convinced her that taking Covid-19 vaccines was against their religion, and persuaded her to eat ivermectin, in order to "purge out" both the vaccine and Covid-19.

Wong then obtained the ivermectin from another church acquaintance, who allegedly consolidated orders of 1,000 ivermectin pills via a church group.

After taking four tablets of ivermectin over two days, she fell ill with a fever, inflammation on her joints, and began to vomit after consuming food.

She was then taken to Sengkang General Hospital, where she was hospitalised.

Do not self-medicate with ivermectin

The HSA recently released an advisory on the use of ivermectin for Covid-19.

According to the advisory, ivermectin is a prescription-only medicine registered in Singapore only for the treatment of parasitic worm infections.

"It is not an anti-viral medicine and is not approved by HSA for use in the prevention or treatment of Covid-19," said the advisory.

HSA warned individuals against self-medicating with ivermectin, and noted that side effects associated with ivermectin included vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, sudden drop in blood pressure and more.

It also said that a local study conducted by the National University Health System in 2020 did not find any evidence to suggest that ivermectin has any effect on Covid-19, and warned individuals against using vaccines and treatments not authorised by HSA.

HSA said:

"HSA takes a serious view against those engaged in the illegal sale and supply of medicines, including ivermectin, and we will take strong enforcement action against such persons. Anyone convicted of the illegal sale of these medicines faces a penalty fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for a period of up to two years under the Health Products Act."

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