In what some might consider a bombshell breakthrough, the Attorney General of the State of Nebraska provided a legal opinion to the state’s Health and Human Services Department head. This just-released formal legal opinion suggests that the off-label use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 is acceptable. The Attorney General’s conclusions: “Allowing physicians to consider these early treatments will free them to evaluate additional tools that could save lives, keep patients out of the hospital, and provide relief for our already strained healthcare system.”

This bombshell finding comes from a letter from Douglas J. Peterson, Attorney General, as well as James A Campbell, Solicitor General, and Mindy L. Lester, Assistant Attorney General to Dannette R. Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Smith requested an analysis from the Attorney General’s Office to assess whether it was unlawful or otherwise subject to discipline under Nebraska law for a licensed health care provider to prescribe ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, or other “off-label use medications for the treatment of COVID-19” once informed patient consent has been obtained.

The HHS head was interested in this opinion, since the Health and Human Services Department, via the Division of Publish Health, enforces the Nebraska Uniform Credentialing Act or “UCA.”

The Attorney General provided a detailed, lengthy analysis to the Nebraska HHS lead, declaring that based on the available data, they “do not find clear and convincing evidence that a physician who first obtains informed consent and then utilizes ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine after COVID-19 violates UCA.” Of course, there are exceptions. The physician must A) secure informed consent, B) not deceive their patients, C) not prescribe excessively high doses, D) check for contraindications, and E) not engage in other misconduct.

In this bombshell of a letter, the Attorney General brought up disturbing trends evidencing misinformation during the pandemic, questionable studies (such as the one in The Lancet about hydroxychloroquine), which were then retracted, and other evidence of misinformation targeting off label drugs. TrialSite has chronicled a number of these alarming observations ranging from top medical journals to leading mass media newspapers.

Call to Action: Follow the link to read the opinion in its entirety.