On June 26, 2025, Dr. Simone Gold and America’s Frontline Doctors filed Citizen Petitions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convert hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to over-the-counter (OTC) status. Doctors Dana Granberg-Nill, Bryan Atkinson, Pierre Kory, Brian Tyson, Peterson Pierre, Robin Armstrong, Geoff Mitchell, and Lynn Fynn joined as co-petitioners. AFLDS is taking critical action to ensure easy access to life-saving medications.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been FDA-approved for decades and is available OTC in many parts of the world. In the US, HCQ is widely prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. According to the government’s own database, FAERS, HCQ is one of the safest drugs on the planet. Ivermectin is a wide-ranging antiparasitic agent used in humans for over three decades and won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015. Considered extremely safe, ivermectin is FDA-approved to treat threadworm infection and river blindness, with millions of treatments administered in global public health campaigns. There is no dispute that both of these drugs are extremely safe.
The COVID pandemic sparked a tremendous public health demand to repurpose well-known drugs for new uses, specifically for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Patients who were prescribed these medications by their doctors were denied access by pharmacies that refused to fill these prescriptions due to pressure from government health agencies and their C-suite executives. This unnecessary barrier prevented countless Americans from accessing safe and effective medication in the middle of a pandemic. Both drugs were attacked relentlessly in order to push experimental mRNA injections onto the public. Despite tremendous safety profiles and potential, there is no financial incentive to convert them to OTC status. In short, profits are being prioritized over cheaper alternatives.
Recognizing the importance of cutting through propaganda and removing this barrier to patient access, Dr. Gold and AFLDS filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA to make HCQ available OTC in October 2020. By refiling our petition for HCQ along with a new petition for ivermectin, we are reactivating this fight. The American people deserve access to safe and effective medicine without government interference!
AFLDS Founder and President Dr. Simone Gold stated, “The fight to make hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin over-the-counter continues. The mainstream narrative has collapsed under the weight of its own deception, and the truth can no longer be suppressed. It is way past time for our government to truly follow the science. These drugs are FDA-approved, safe, and life-saving. This isn’t just about COVID or the next pandemic. This is about prioritizing patient access to safe and effective treatment over Big Pharma’s profits. Breaking down the barrier to hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin will save lives. The fight for medical freedom isn’t over. We are calling on the FDA to take critical action now.”
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