Is Ivermectin Over the Counter in Your State? (2026 Update)

Where you can buy ivermectin without a prescription, what the rules are, and how to get it in any state.

Ivermectin has been one of the most-searched medications in the country this year, as lawmakers in at least seven states debated whether people should be able to buy it without a prescription. Some of those bills became law. Most didn't.

If you're trying to figure out what applies where you live, here's where every state stands as of late October 2026, what "over the counter" actually means in those states, and how to get ivermectin legally anywhere in the US.
‍

The quick answer

• No prescription needed in 6 states: Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Texas and Iowa
• In most of those states, you still get it from a pharmacist, not off a store shelf, and rules differ by state
• Everywhere else, you need a prescription, and federal law still lists ivermectin as prescription-only
• 2026 bills in Mississippi, Wyoming and Georgia failed. Oklahoma, South Carolina and Florida stalled.
• Anywhere in the US, you can get it through a doctor-reviewed online order

Where ivermectin is available without a prescription

Six states let adults get ivermectin without a prescription. Texas and Iowa are the newest.

States that tried in 2026 and didn't pass a law

In every other state, ivermectin still requires a prescription. Many of these bills will likely come back when legislatures reconvene in 2027, and we'll update this page when they do.

What "over the counter" really means in these states

In most of these states, "no prescription" doesn't mean you can grab ivermectin off a shelf next to the vitamins. Here's what to expect:

• You'll usually deal with a pharmacist. In Texas it stays behind the counter, like some cold medicines. Louisiana and Tennessee have pharmacists dispense it under a standing order or an agreement with a prescriber.
• Pharmacies don't have to carry it. State law allows the sale, but each pharmacy decides whether to stock it, and a pharmacist can decline to sell it.
• Federal law hasn't changed. The FDA still classifies ivermectin as a prescription drug. That conflict is one reason some pharmacies have been cautious.
• Expect questions. Pharmacists may ask about your weight, other medications and why you need it, because the right dose depends on your body weight and what it's for.

Call ahead before you make the trip, especially in Idaho and Arkansas, where availability varies from store to store.

What ivermectin is approved to treat

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic medicine. In the US, the FDA has approved it for:

• Tablets: two parasitic worm infections, intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness)
• Creams and lotions: head lice and the skin condition rosacea

The FDA has not approved ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, and says clinical trials so far haven't shown it works for that. It isn't an antibiotic, so it doesn't treat bacterial infections either.

A few safety basics:

• Never use animal ivermectin. Products made for horses or livestock are dosed and formulated differently, and the FDA has received reports of people hospitalized after taking them.
• Dose matters. Ivermectin is dosed by body weight. Too much can cause nausea, dizziness, low blood pressure, seizures and, in severe cases, coma.
• Watch for interactions. Ivermectin can interact with other medicines, including blood thinners.

How to get ivermectin in any state

If you don't live in one of the six states, or your local pharmacy doesn't stock it, a doctor-reviewed prescription is the simplest legal route. Even where you don't need one, it has some advantages:

• It works in all 50 states, whatever your state legislature does next.
• A doctor checks the dose and your other medications before anything ships.
• You get human-grade medicine from a licensed US pharmacy, not a product of unknown origin from an online marketplace.
• You can ask questions later. Prepare includes a year of support from a medical specialist with every kit.

Prepare Medical's Essential Plus kit includes ivermectin 3 mg (36 tablets), along with albendazole, another antiparasitic, plus the 8 core medications in our Essential kit: antibiotics, flu medicine (oseltamivir), nausea medicine and more. That's 13 medications in all, for $369.99 with code PREPPER.

As with every Prepare order, a licensed doctor reviews your health information first and prescribes only what's safe for you.