West Michigan doctor promotes Ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment despite FDA, CDC warnings
Portage-Based Park Allergy Center, operated by Dr. Michael Park, promoted the drug as a preventative and treatment tool on it’s website. (WWMT/Manny Revilla)
PORTAGE, Michigan — As federal and state health officials have warned against the use of Ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, a West Michigan provider advertised the drug to patients as a potential treatment.
The Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the drug’s manufacturer have all sent out warnings about it’s unintended use, including a viral tweet from the FDA saying, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it.”
Ivermectin is best known as a deworming agent in livestock, and while it does have some uses in humans, the FDA and CDC say treating COVID-19 is not one of them.
Portage-based Park Allergy Center, operated by Dr. Michael Park, promoted the drug as a preventative and treatment tool on it’s website.
Under the “What’s New?” section the practice displayed a page from the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance listing Ivermectin for use in both prevention and early treatment protocols for COVID-19.
The FLCCCA is a non-profit formed during the pandemic made up of physicians with reservations about some COVID-19 guidance from public health officials.
Since News Channel 3 started asking questions, that post has been taken down.
“As of right now there’s little to no evidence showing that it would be a wonder drug,” said Dr. Varun Vohra, a clinical toxicologist and director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center.
Vohra added people should only use approved treatments.
“From a scientifically, evidence-based medicine practice, it is highly questionable,” he said.
Over the last two weeks News Channel 3 has called Park’s office requesting an interview and left messages in the contact us section of the website a half-dozen times but only heard back Wednesday via text message.
In the message Park said he significantly changed his position on the issue about about a week-and-a-half ago. Follow up texts asking for an interview about why he changed his position weren’t returned so a reporter went to his office and asked for an interview to include his side in the story. After waiting a couple of minutes a staff member said Park was with a patient and would reach out later.
Park had not reached out as of 7:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Vohra said medical professionals promoting Ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 can add confusion to an already complex situation.
“It’s an impediment and it’s a challenge,” he said. “We’re just trying to go based off of the current body of evidence and rely on objective evidence and truths.”
Park is listed as a provider on websites for both Ascension Borgess and Bronson, the Kalamazoo area’s two biggest healthcare systems.
A spokesperson for Ascension Borgess did not reply to requests for comment.
In a statement a Bronson spokesperson said, “Dr. Park is a member of our medical staff, as are many other independent practitioners in the area. He is entitled to his own opinions. Bronson is aligned with the CDC and FDA and has not recommended Ivermectin as a treatment for SARS-CoV-2.”
According to Vohra so far the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center hasn’t seen a surge in calls about Ivermectin, like in other parts of the country. Still, he added his office is keeping close watch as the drug gains more popularity in certain circles.
