Elected officials are pushing back against medical licensing boards, hospitals and pharmacists who are blocking access to off-label COVID-19 treatments or threatening to investigate doctors for dispensing them.

Several states are considering legislation of varying specificity to authorize dispensing of drugs such as Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID. One was introduced by a physician-lawmaker under investigation for prescribing Ivermectin to COVID patients.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor announced Tuesday that his office would not prosecute doctors for prescribing FDA-approved drugs for off-label COVID treatment.

A state medical licensure board has “no legal basis” to discipline a licensed physician for “exercising sound judgement and safely prescribing” Ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine for COVID, he said. “Our healthcare professionals should have every tool available to combat COVID-19. Public safety demands this.”