Fight for Ivermectin as a COVID Treatment Exposes Outsized Power of State Medical Boards: Lawyer

A health worker shows a box containing a bottle of Ivermectin, a medicine authorized by the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance to treat patients with mild, asymptomatic or suspicious COVID-19, as part of a study of the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases Studies, in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images

Medical boards across the United States act independently and have full decision-making authority regarding discipline and investigations, with the exception of nine states, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

In all but 19 states, medical board members are appointed by the state’s governor and don’t require additional confirmation. Where separate confirmation is required, the state Senate or Legislature is responsible, according to FSMB.