endIndex: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) — Despite being allowed for human consumption, the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin must not be treated as an over-the-counter drug, the Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday. "It is a prescription drug so a doctor has to prescribe it to you," FDA Director General Eric Domingo told CNN Philippines' The Source. "Kailangan nireseta, kailangan i-explain sa iyo ng doctor kung ano yung gamot na nireseta sa yo, kung ano ang side effect nito, and why it’s being given to you. It’s not an over-the-counter drug," he stressed. [Translation: It must be prescribed and the doctor should explain to you the drug that he prescribed, what its side effects are, and why it is being given to you. It's not an over-the-counter drug.]