Continuing imports of counterfeit ivermectin

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are continuing to see imports of counterfeit ivermectin, with recent testing following previously warnings in December 2021 and March 2022, regarding the importation of ivermectin and the risks associated with counterfeit therapeutic goods.

We have tested a further 6 imported, unregistered ivermectin products and found they are counterfeit under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. Three of these were retested as they were previously found to be counterfeit with no changes in quality since.

Laboratory analysis confirmed that the following products contain less than the stated 12mg of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, ivermectin:

• Iversun-12
• Covimectin-12
• Iverheal-12
• Iverhuman-12
• Ivetab-12
• Iverguard-12

As with the previous warnings issued, these products were purchased online from an overseas website and were not bought from an Australian pharmacy.

We advise consumers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing medicines from unknown overseas websites and recommend obtaining them from an Australian pharmacy. Counterfeit products may contain undeclared and hazardous ingredients that could cause a serious adverse reaction. They may also be contaminated because of a lack of manufacturing and testing standards. Products purchased online:

• may be fake
• may contain incorrect or undisclosed and potentially harmful ingredients
• may not meet the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as those approved by the TGA for supply in Australia.

For your safety, always buy medicines from reputable sources and consult your healthcare provider or local registered pharmacy if you have any concerns.

We remind consumers that Ivermectin is a prescription-only (schedule 4) medicine in Australia. 

Counterfeit products cannot be imported under the Personal Importation Scheme. Knowingly importing, supplying and/or giving away counterfeit therapeutic goods is illegal and poses a significant public health and safety risk.

Information for consumers

• Stop using these counterfeit ivermectin products and take any remaining items to your local pharmacy for safe disposal - external site.
• If you have any concerns arising from your use of these products, consult your healthcare practitioner.
• If you suspect you have had a side effect (also known as an adverse event) to this or a similar medicine, report it to the TGA.
• If you are considering buying medicines or medical devices online from overseas, watch this short video on the risks associated with doing this.

Action the TGA is taking

We continue to work with the Australian Border Force (ABF) to help stop future shipments of counterfeit ivermectin from entering Australia.

We will notify the ABF to seize and destroy any of these products intercepted at the border.

Report counterfeit medicines and medical devices

If you are worried about counterfeit medicines or medical devices, and want to report an issue, you can report the matter to the TGA: