Kingman, Arizona,  – Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC) has received multiple inquiries regarding the use of antiparasitic drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

KRMC’s Clinical Pathways Committee, comprised of numerous medical professionals, does not support the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The committee includes ICU physicians, hospitalists, pathologists, pharmacists, nursing staff, and respiratory therapists, who meet weekly to review the hospital’s protocols surrounding the treatment of COVID-19. The latest scientific data inform these protocols.

Various medical associations and regulatory groups recommend against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 in inpatient or outpatient settings. These groups include:

• Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

The drug’s manufacturer, Merck, does not recommend the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19, citing a lack of both safety data and evidence of clinical benefit.

KRMC relies on a range of medications to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Depending on the patient’s condition, these may include:

• Remdesivir
• Tocilizumab
• Corticosteroids
• Anticoagulant drugs

KRMC also uses monoclonal antibody therapy on an outpatient basis to treat COVID-positive individuals within ten days of symptom onset.

KRMC is committed to providing advanced, evidence-based medical care to its patients. KRMC’s Clinical Pathways Committee will continue to review the latest scientific developments in the treatment of COVID-19.

 About Kingman Regional Medical Center

(KRMC) is a 235-bed multi-campus health care system in Kingman, Arizona that employs over 1,900 employees, 150 volunteers, and 270 physicians/allied health professionals. KRMC is the largest provider of health and wellness services in northwestern Arizona. It is home to an advanced imaging center, cancer center, cardiovascular center, rehabilitation and balance center, wound care center, sleep disorders center, acute rehabilitation specialty hospital, primary and specialty care clinics, hospice home, and beautiful wellness center. KRMC is also a teaching hospital offering residencies in emergency medicine and family medicine and a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The hospital received the Arizona Innovation Award for its efforts to proactively enhance healthcare in a rural community. The hospital’s vision is to provide the region’s best clinical care and patient service through an environment that fosters respect for others and pride in performance.

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