Amazon has begun offering warnings about the use of the medication Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 after a surge in popularity of treating COVID-19 with the drug. Ivermectin has traditionally been used to treat parasite infestations in humans and heartworm in veterinarian settings.
After a user performs a search including the term Ivermectin, a warning dialog is shown at the top of the screen advising against the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 and a link to the FDA website.
On product detail pages, warnings are also given about misuse of Ivermectin.
Ivermectin Is Now the #185th Most Popular Search Term on Amazon
Search data revealed on Amazon show that the search term “Ivermectin” has gone from being the 4,696th most popular search term on Amazon.com in the first week of June, to the 185th in the previous week (August 28 to September 4, 2021).
The use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 has surged in popularity in recent weeks, despite warnings against it from the FDA, as a result of some advocating for the use of it to treat COVID-19 despite no medical proof being found for its effectiveness in treating COVID-19.
Sale and Price Gouging of Ivermectin on Amazon
Despite the warnings, the sale of Ivermectin continues on Amazon and has not been blocked.
When a customer does go to buy Ivermectin, they will also be given another warning advising against the use of it to treat COVID-19.
Amazon has, however, restricted the advertising of any COVID-19 benefits, as it has also done for many other products.
Ivermectin used to be just around $7 on Amazon. But because of its rumored healing powers, it now sells for as high as $45—six times more than its usual price. Sellers are really taking advantage of its unconfirmed capabilities.
