The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that hospitals should not be forced to prescribe ivermectin to COVID-19 patients, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
In a 6-1 ruling, the court sided with Aurora Health Care against Allen Gahl, who sued after doctors refused to administer his uncle a prescription for ivermectin that he received from a doctor outside of Aurora Medical Center Summit, where his uncle was hospitalized and put on a ventilator due to complications from COVID-19.
Gahl was given the power to make medical decisions for his uncle, according to WSAU.
During the pandemic, ivermectin gained popularity, and some doctors promoted it as a miraculous treatment for coronavirus and other ailments.
But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug, to prevent or treat COVID-19 infections, and health experts have warned users about its potential risks, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote for the majority in the Wisconsin Supreme Court that the circuit court should not have issued its ruling to force Aurora to administer the drug. In her dissent, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote the lower court reached a "reasonable decision in light of the life-or-death circumstances presented."
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upheld a decision by a state appeals court that said the court had no legal authority to force Aurora Health to administer the drug.
"We strongly believe that courts should not be allowed to compel providers to administer care that is medically substandard, and we are pleased that the American Medical Association and the Wisconsin Medical Board have weighed in to support our position," according to a statement from Aurora.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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