No. As of September 26, 2026, oral ivermectin tablets are still prescription-only in Georgia. A bill that would have let pharmacists hand ivermectin to adults without a prescription cleared the Georgia House in the 2026 session but was never taken up by the Senate before the session adjourned on April 2, 2026, so it did not become law. If you live in Georgia and are checking which states allow OTC ivermectin, the practical answer is that you need a prescription from a Georgia-licensed prescriber and a licensed pharmacy to fill it.

Georgia classifies ivermectin among its "dangerous drugs," the state's term for medicines that may only be dispensed on a prescription. That status has not changed. The rest of this page explains what the failed 2026 bill actually said, what a legal purchase looks like right now, and why the veterinary ivermectin sold at farm-supply stores is labeled for animal use only and is not approved for people. If you are comparing states, our overviews of ivermectin access in Oklahoma and the rules covering ivermectin in Louisiana show how differently neighboring legislatures have handled this.

Key takeaways

  • Ivermectin tablets are not available over the counter in Georgia as of September 26, 2026. A prescription is required.
  • Senate Bill 440 would have allowed pharmacist dispensing to people 18 and older; it passed the House on April 2, 2026, the final day of the session, but died when the Senate did not vote on it before adjournment.
  • An earlier measure, SB 366, would have removed ivermectin from Georgia's dangerous-drug list entirely. It also did not pass.
  • At least five states — Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana and Texas — have enacted some form of non-prescription access. Georgia has not joined them.
  • The FDA has approved ivermectin tablets only for specific parasitic infections, has not authorized it for COVID-19, and warns that animal formulations are not for human use.

Is ivermectin available over the counter in Georgia?

A pharmacist hands a small white paper prescription bag across a pharmacy counter to a customer, illustrating pharmacist dispensing rules in Georgia.

No. Human ivermectin tablets require a prescription in Georgia, and no Georgia pharmacy can legally sell them to you off the shelf or from behind the counter without one. Anyone telling you otherwise is either describing a different state's law or describing an illegal sale.

The confusion is understandable, because the question came very close to changing in 2026. Georgia Recorder and Healthbeat reported in March 2026 that a House committee amended a Department of Public Health bill to let pharmacists distribute ivermectin over the counter to Georgians 18 and older. Because the language was added late, the bill needed to clear both chambers again. Reporting from Georgia Recorder and Rough Draft Atlanta published on April 3, 2026 confirmed that Senate Bill 440 passed the House on the final day of the session, April 2, but that the Senate never brought it up. Georgia's 2025–2026 legislative biennium has since ended, which means any new attempt has to be introduced fresh when lawmakers return in January 2027.

What is legal in Georgia right now

Product Status in Georgia (verified Sept 26, 2026)
Ivermectin oral tablets (human) Prescription only
Topical ivermectin cream for rosacea Prescription only
Ivermectin 0.5% lotion for head lice Marketed without a prescription nationally; confirm on the carton, as some presentations are still dispensed by a pharmacist
Veterinary pastes, drenches, pour-ons, injectables Sold for animals; labeled for animal use only and not approved for people

What the Georgia law actually allows (pharmacist dispensing, age limits, effective date)

A gloved hand holds a plastic veterinary paste syringe, the animal-only ivermectin product sold at Georgia farm supply stores.

There is no Georgia law authorizing non-prescription ivermectin, so there is no effective date to report. What existed were two proposals, and the difference between them matters if you want to follow the issue into 2027.

SB 366 (2025): full reclassification

According to legislative trackers including LegiScan and BillTrack50, Senate Bill 366 was introduced and referred in the Senate on March 28, 2025. It would have removed ivermectin from Georgia's definition of a dangerous drug and stated that ivermectin suitable for human use may be sold over the counter — the broadest model, similar to laws in Arkansas and Idaho that allow purchase without a prescription or a consultation. SB 366 never advanced out of committee.

SB 440 (2026): pharmacist dispensing with an age floor

The 2026 version was narrower. As described by Georgia Recorder and Healthbeat, it would have permitted pharmacist dispensing rather than shelf sales, and it carried an 18-and-older age limit. That design is closer to the Texas and Louisiana approach, where a pharmacist remains the gatekeeper and records the transaction.

Why it stalled

Opponents in committee included Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat and practicing physician, who argued that over-the-counter drugs normally treat conditions people can identify themselves, and that confirming something like an intestinal worm infection generally requires laboratory testing a patient cannot do at home. Pharmacy groups also raised liability concerns. Supporters, including Waycross Republican Rep. James Burchett, framed the bill as harm reduction for people already buying veterinary-grade product. Georgia was not alone. In Florida, Senate Bill 1756 passed the Senate on March 9, 2026 and then died in the House, and a separate full-OTC bill, HB 29, was withdrawn before it was introduced, per the Florida Legislature's bill records. West Virginia's SB 42 cleared the Senate Health Committee on January 15, 2026 and went no further before that session adjourned on March 14, 2026. In Alabama, HB146 and HB127 got a House Health Committee hearing in January 2026, and neither had been enacted as of September 26, 2026.

Where to buy ivermectin locally in Georgia

A laptop open for a telehealth video appointment beside a notepad and an amber pill vial, the route to an ivermectin prescription in Georgia.

With a valid prescription, any licensed Georgia pharmacy can fill ivermectin: chain pharmacies, grocery and supermarket pharmacies, independents, and compounding pharmacies. Stock is the main practical hurdle rather than legality, because ivermectin tablets are a low-volume item. Calling ahead and asking whether the pharmacy has the strength your prescriber wrote — or can order it for next-day pickup — saves a wasted trip. Our general guide to sourcing ivermectin through licensed pharmacies walks through how to ask.

Farm and feed stores: animal-labeled products only

Tractor Supply, co-ops and western-wear and feed stores across Georgia stock ivermectin horse paste, cattle pour-ons, drenches and injectables. These products are labeled for animal use only and are not approved for human use. The FDA's consumer guidance states plainly that animal formulations differ from human products, that they are often far more concentrated, and that people have been harmed taking them. In February 2026, the FDA even issued emergency use authorizations for over-the-counter ivermectin injectables in cattle to combat New World screwworm, per USDA's APHIS — a useful reminder that "over the counter" on an animal drug says nothing about human safety, dosing or legality.

What to avoid

Websites that offer to ship prescription ivermectin to a Georgia address with no prescriber involvement are operating outside state and federal law, and there is no way for a buyer to confirm what is in the package. We do not name or link to them.

If you still need a prescription: telehealth options

A curled pharmacy receipt, loose coins and an amber pill vial on a counter, showing what an ivermectin prescription can cost in Georgia.

Because Georgia kept its prescription requirement, a telehealth visit is the most common route for people who cannot get a quick in-person appointment. A prescriber must hold a Georgia license to treat a patient located in Georgia, and the visit is a real clinical evaluation — not a checkout step. A clinician can and often will decline to prescribe ivermectin if the reason for the request is not one the drug is approved to treat. Our overview of getting ivermectin through an online consultation explains what these visits typically involve.

  • Your own primary care office. Many Georgia practices offer video or portal visits; this is usually the cheapest option if you are established.
  • Insurer or employer virtual care. Often a low or zero copay benefit. Check your plan documents.
  • Retail and health-system virtual clinics. Flat-fee visits, generally same day.
  • Direct-to-consumer telehealth companies. Verify the clinician is Georgia-licensed and that a pharmacy of your choosing can receive the prescription.
  • Travel and infectious disease clinics. Appropriate if the concern is strongyloidiasis, onchocerciasis or another parasitic infection diagnosed after travel.

What the evidence supports

The FDA has approved ivermectin tablets at specific doses for intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, with topical forms approved for head lice and rosacea. It is not approved or authorized for COVID-19, and the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines panel recommended against using it for COVID-19 before the guidelines were archived in 2024. Claims that ivermectin treats cancer are not supported by published clinical evidence. The FDA also warns that even approved human doses can interact with other medicines, including blood thinners, and that overdose can cause vomiting, low blood pressure, seizures and other serious effects.

What it costs in Georgia

Ivermectin tablets are an old generic, and the drug itself is typically inexpensive relative to the rest of the visit. Your total cost in Georgia usually has two parts:

  • The visit. An insured office or video visit may cost only a copay; cash-pay telehealth visits are commonly billed as a flat fee.
  • The prescription. Insurance generally covers ivermectin when it is prescribed for an FDA-approved indication. Coverage is far less reliable for off-label requests, in which case you pay cash.

Cash prices for ivermectin tablets vary widely between Georgia pharmacies and by tablet strength and quantity, and they have moved more than once during 2025–2026. Rather than quote a figure that may be stale by the time you read this, check a current price for your ZIP code and quantity on GoodRx's ivermectin page and ask two or three local pharmacies for their cash price, including independents, which sometimes beat chain pricing on low-volume generics. Discount cards generally cannot be combined with insurance, so compare both.

Time-sensitive facts on this page — Georgia's prescription requirement, the status of SB 366 and SB 440, and the list of states with non-prescription access — were last verified on September 26, 2026. Georgia's next regular session convenes in January 2027, and this page will be rechecked then.

Frequently asked questions

Can you buy ivermectin over the counter in Georgia in 2026?

No. Human ivermectin tablets require a prescription in Georgia. The 2026 bill that would have permitted pharmacist dispensing to adults passed the House but was not voted on by the Senate before the session ended on April 2, 2026.

Is ivermectin over the counter in Georgia for children?

No, and the failed bill would not have changed that — it applied only to people 18 and older. Any ivermectin use in a child should go through a pediatric clinician.

Which states allow ivermectin without a prescription?

Reporting from Pharmacy Times and national outlets identifies Tennessee (2022), Arkansas and Idaho (2025), Louisiana (2025) and Texas (2025) as having enacted non-prescription or pharmacist-dispensing access. The statutes differ meaningfully, and trackers disagree on exact counts, so check the individual state law before relying on it.

Can I legally take horse paste bought in Georgia?

Veterinary ivermectin is labeled for animal use only and is not approved for people. Concentrations are formulated for animals weighing many hundreds of pounds, the inactive ingredients have not been evaluated for humans, and the FDA has documented harm from human use of these products.

Will Georgia pass an over-the-counter ivermectin law in 2027?

That is unknown. The proposals died with the 2025–2026 biennium and would have to be reintroduced. Sponsors have signaled continued interest, but a bill that clears one chamber does not necessarily get a floor vote in the other.

Is ivermectin covered by insurance in Georgia?

Usually yes when prescribed for an approved parasitic indication, and often no when prescribed off-label. Ask your pharmacy to run it through your plan and also quote the cash price.

Sources