--- title: SB 366. Controlled Substances and Pharmacists and Pharmacies; ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication in this state; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb366 cite_as: SB 366, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb366 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb366.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb366/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71823 date: 2025-03-28 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb365.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb367.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb366.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 366 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-27 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Colton Moore - Greg Dolezal - Matt Brass - Timothy Bearden - Sam Watson - Russ Goodman - Carden Summers - Drew Echols - Lee Anderson - Brandon Beach - Blake Tillery - Chuck Payne - Jason Anavitarte - Clint Dixon text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB366/2025 upstream_id: 2016166 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ivermectin - over-the-counter medication - pharmacy regulation - controlled substances - drug access --- # SB 366. Controlled Substances and Pharmacists and Pharmacies; ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication in this state; provide ## Text 25 LC 52 0791 Senate Bill 366 By: Senators Moore of the 53rd, Dolezal of the 27th, Brass of the 6th, Bearden of the 30th, Watson of the 11th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 13 of Title 16 and Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia1 Annotated, relating to controlled substances and pharmacists and pharmacies, respectively,2 so as to provide for ivermectin as an over-the-counter medicati on in this state; to remove3 ivermectin from the definition of, exceptions to, and exemptions from dangerous drugs; to4 provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to rep eal conflicting laws; and for5 other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Chapter 13 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotate d, relating to controlled9 substances, is amended in Code Section 16-13-71, relating to dangerous drug, by repealing10 paragraph (506.8) of subsection (b) and paragraph (12.1) of subsection (c).11 SECTION 2.12 Chapter 4 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to pharmacists and13 pharmacies, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:14 S. B. 366 - 1 - 25 LC 52 0791 "26-4-7.15 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:16 (1) 'Ivermectin' means an antiparasitic drug with multiple uses, including, but not limited17 to, in veterinary medicine, to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis, and in human18 medicine, to treat parasitic worms, head lice, and rosacea.19 (2) 'Over-the-counter medication' means medication that may be legally sold and20 purchased without a prescription or consultation with a pharmac ist or other healthcare21 professional.22 (b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, ivermectin suitable for human23 use may be sold or purchased as an over-the-counter medication in this state."24 SECTION 3.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 S. B. 366 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate bill would let stores sell human-use ivermectin over the counter, without a prescription, by removing it from the state's list of dangerous drugs. ### Plain-language summary Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used to treat conditions like parasitic worms, head lice, and rosacea in humans, and heartworm and mite infestations in animals. Under current Georgia law it is classified as a dangerous drug, which generally means it can only be sold with a prescription. This bill would change that. It removes ivermectin from the dangerous drug definitions and exceptions in Georgia's controlled substances law (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71). It then adds a new section to the pharmacy law (O.C.G.A. § 26-4-7.1) that defines ivermectin and over-the-counter medication, and states that ivermectin suitable for human use may be sold or purchased without a prescription or a pharmacist consultation. The bill does not include a specific effective date beyond standard enactment, and it repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Removes ivermectin from Georgia's dangerous drug classification by repealing specific paragraphs in the controlled substances code (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71). - Adds a new pharmacy law section (O.C.G.A. § 26-4-7.1) defining ivermectin and over-the-counter medication. - Allows human-use ivermectin to be sold or purchased in Georgia without a prescription or consultation with a pharmacist or other healthcare professional. - Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with these changes. ### Who it affects Georgia pharmacies and retailers that sell medications, pharmacists, consumers seeking to buy ivermectin for conditions like parasitic worms, head lice, or rosacea, and state regulators overseeing controlled substances and pharmacy practice. ### Why it matters If enacted, Georgians could buy human-use ivermectin directly off the shelf without seeing a doctor or pharmacist first, changing how the drug is accessed and removing the current prescription requirement tied to its dangerous drug status. ### Key provisions - Section 1 repeals paragraph (506.8) of subsection (b) and paragraph (12.1) of subsection (c) of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-71, removing ivermectin from the dangerous drug definitions and exceptions. - Section 2 adds new Code Section 26-4-7.1, defining 'ivermectin' by its uses in both veterinary and human medicine and defining 'over-the-counter medication' as one sellable without prescription or consultation. - Section 2 states that ivermectin suitable for human use may be sold or purchased as an over-the-counter medication in Georgia, overriding conflicting law. - Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-03-28) - Sponsors: Colton Moore, Greg Dolezal, Matt Brass, Timothy Bearden, Sam Watson, Russ Goodman, Carden Summers, Drew Echols, Lee Anderson, Brandon Beach, Blake Tillery, Chuck Payne, Jason Anavitarte, Clint Dixon - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71823 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb366.md?full=1