Tennessee's ivermectin pipeline runs through one
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- Tennessee's 2022 ivermectin law allows pharmacies to dispense the drug without patient-specific prescriptions via collaborative agreements with a doctor, and KFF Health News confirmed Dr. Denise Sibley signed such agreements with at least 10 pharmacies statewide, while she claims up to 40
- Sibley is affiliated with Children's Health Defense, the Kennedy-founded anti-vaccine group, has called the Covid vaccine a "bioweapon," and has said "God agrees with what I'm doing" in advocating for ivermectin, including claiming to have treated around 4,400 people
- Pharmacies under the law are offering pills at 10 to 20 times the potency of standard ivermectin tablets, marketing them for unproven uses including Covid, "long haul vax symptoms," diabetes, and cancer
- The Tennessee Poison Center received more than 60 calls for possible ivermectin poisoning in 2025 — the most since 2021 — with symptoms including vomiting, blurred vision, neurological problems, and difficulty walking
- More than two dozen states have since considered look-alike bills to make ivermectin available without a doctor visit, following Tennessee's lead
- Sibley uses treatment protocols developed by Dr. Paul Marik, co-founder of the Independent Medical Alliance, which recommend 1.5 to five times the standard ivermectin dose taken over days or weeks; both Sibley and Marik have had board certifications revoked by the American Board of Internal Medicine
- Pharmacist Paul Hughey of Mt. Juliet Pharmacy and Compound Rx estimated up to 20 people a week buy ivermectin from his stores, with peak demand reaching double or triple that, and customers frequently relay testimonials about cancer cures
Why it matters: Tennessee's law and Sibley's agreements have created a legal pipeline for unproven, high-potency ivermectin sales that has already produced a spike in poisoning calls (60+ in 2025, the most since 2021), and the model is now being copied by two dozen other states — meaning vulnerable patients seeking alternative cancer or Covid treatments could face similar unregulated access nationwide.
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