Council of State approves fines for doctors who prescribed ivermectin for Covid-19

The fines issued by the health minister to four doctors who prescribed off-label medicines to four patients who were infected with the coronavirus were justified, according to the Council of State. But the fines do need to be halved. A medicine is used off-label if it is prescribed for a treatment for which it is not registered.

Fines rising up to 13,000 euros had been handed out to 16 doctors in 2022. One of the doctors had prescribed the medications on 150 occasions. This came after the Dutch healthcare and youth care inspectorate had launched an investigation in December of 2021.

By prescribing hydroxychloroquine and or ivermectin to patients with Covid-19 the doctors broke The Dutch Medicines Act. The law allows off-label prescription if “protocols or standards have been developed within the professional group.”

But that was not the case in this instance. The coronavirus pandemic brought “significant insecurity” for doctors, said the Council of State.

“At the moment of the offenses, there were no registered medications for the treatment of Covid-19, and no vaccinations were available for a large part of the population.” The doctors were confronted with severely ill patients during this time.