Seizures of Ivermectin show no sign of slowing down post pandemic
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has reported that 35,180 units of Ivermectin were detained in 2025, representing a sharp contrast to the mere 342 units seized in 2020 at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While overall illegal medicine seizures across the board have reached 763,027 units, the sustained high confiscations of Ivermectin point to continued public interest well beyond the acute phase of the pandemic.
Data from the HPRA illustrates that seizures rose sharply to over 28,000 units in both 2021 and 2022 during the height of the pandemic.
Although numbers fell to 12,546 in 2023, they rebounded to 27,903 in 2024 and climbed further to 35,180 last year.
This persistence, even as every major Covid wave has receded, suggests factors beyond initial pandemic demand.
A key driver appears to be claims regarding Ivermectin’s potential role in managing Long-Covid, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).
Although the benefits remain strongly disputed by medical authorities, many individuals experiencing prolonged symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, and joint pain, have turned to the drug in search of relief, often sourcing it through unregulated online channels.
While not directly related to the use of Ivermectin, the Government here had initially created a special scheme for healthcare workers who contacted long Covid. However, according to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, following a hearing in June, the Labour Court recommended that the Special Scheme would come to an end on the 31st of December 2025.
Employees who remain unfit to return to work due to Long-Covid can instead access the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme
