Georgia Bill: SB 440

Bill Summary

GA SB 440 is an omnibus public‑health and insurance bill that, among many structural and reporting changes, creates a specific exception allowing ivermectin to be dispensed without a prior prescription under pharmacist supervision. The bill revises Georgia’s “dangerous drug” statute so ivermectin remains classified as a dangerous drug generally, but is exempt when dispensed by a pharmacist to an adult 18 or older after a good‑faith assessment that screens for contraindications, checks current medications for interactions, and does not involve self‑service. Under this exception, the State Board of Pharmacy must adopt rules governing how pharmacists assess patients and dispense ivermectin, effectively making it an over‑the‑counter–style medication available directly from pharmacists while preserving counseling and safety checks. Other provisions in the bill update Department of Public Health duties, shift some program responsibilities, standardize insurer credentialing, and create a mental‑health parity review panel.

Why It Matter to MAHA

The Make America Healthy Again Movement supports GA SB 440 because it expands convenient, lower‑barrier access to human‑use ivermectin by allowing adults to obtain it directly from pharmacists without a doctor’s prescription, under defined safety protocols. MAHA views pharmacist‑mediated, over‑the‑counter–style access as preferable to people self‑dosing with veterinary formulations or going without treatment, and supports giving patients more autonomy to access this long‑standing anti‑parasitic medicine while still benefiting from professional guidance on dosing and interactions. This support is based solely on the ivermectin access provisions and not on any other policy changes contained in the bill.