Statement attributable to:
George M. Abraham, MD, FACP, FIDSA
President, American College of Physicians
PHILADELPHIA, PA September 17, 2021 – The American College of Physicians (ACP), representing 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students, strongly supports the use of science, based on the best available evidence, in the fight against COVID-19. Interference with clinical and scientific judgment by requiring physicians to use unapproved drugs or interventions outside of a clinical trial can harm patients and the integrity of science.
Physicians should not be mandated to provide or withhold information or care that, in the physician’s clinical judgment and based on best available evidence and the ethical standards of the profession, are not necessary or appropriate for a particular patient. A judge’s recent order, although subsequently reversed, required physicians to administer the drug ivermectin to a COVID-19 patient against their clinical judgment, prescribed by a doctor without privileges at the hospital who had not examined the patient. Ivermectin is neither authorized nor approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ACP is concerned about the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 virus, vaccination and treatments, and its detrimental impact on public health, including the use of non-evidence based treatments such as ivermectin. The spread of inaccurate and incorrect information about COVID-19 hinders our ability to mitigate the spread of the virus and combat the global public health crisis. ACP calls on physicians, other health care professionals and patients to get vaccination to protect against COVID-19.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org