'Illegal and harmful' - People warned against buying Covid-19 drugs online

Members of the public are being warned once again not to purchase drugs purporting to be effective at treating Covid-19 after a number of seizures.

The number of seizures of horse dewormer drugs Ivermectin rose by 3,000% year on year between July 2020 and July 2021, according to a report in the Irish Times on Tuesday.

5,000 units of the drug were seized in that time with reports that people are purchasing it online in a bid to use it as a Covid-19 treatment.

Ivermectin is commonly used in the treatment of horses but did win a Nobel Prize in 2015 after it was discovered it could treat some parasitic infections in humans. However, there is no substantiated evidence that the drug can effectively treat Covid-19 in humans.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority has reiterated its warning to people not tp purchase this or any other drug online.

"We are urging members of the public not to buy medicines online which claim to cure or prevent Covid-19," they said.

"While online vendors may claim that their products can prevent, cure or treat Covid-19, such products are likely to be illegal or falsified (fake) and could be harmful to your health. Don’t be fooled," a spokesperson continued.