Flyers blanket Kelowna offering sale of ivermectin online

Photo: Contributed

A Kelowna-based webstore is selling ivermectin online.

A Kelowna man who is filling up local mailboxes with offers to sell ivermectin says he is doing so to “save lives” from COVID-19.

The flyer started showing up in Kelowna this week under the brand “imhere2help.”

“Email me with the promo code below and receive a confidential reply with wholesale price list. Local pick up, drop off or national shipping available,” the flyer states.

When contacted by Castanet by email, seller Michael Lindstrom said he is happy to learn his flyers are gaining traction “as there're countless people who are suffering that really need this medicine.”

Ivermectin was developed 40 years ago as an anti-parasitic for use in both animals and humans. Some have held up the drug as a treatment for COVID-19, but repeated studies have been unable to prove its effectiveness.

“There is no evidence that ivermectin works to prevent or treat COVID-19, and it is not authorized for this use,” says Health Canada online.

But Lindstrom is a believer.

“I invested in ivermectin specifically to save lives for anyone suffering from Covid,” he said in an email to Castanet.

“This has not only proven itself as a highly effective treatment against covid but I’ve personally witnessed countless reports of all kinds of completely non-related diseases cured as well which has been a pleasant surprise.”

Lindstrom declined to comment on how he obtained the drug and the legality of his operation.

“What I will tell you is I’ve had this medicine for over a year and I have given away substantially more than I’ve sold. I determined from day one that I would never, under any circumstance, withhold this medicine from anyone who needs it – period.”

He claims he has been operating his business at a loss in an effort to get the drug into the hands of the public.

“While some may argue whether or not what I’m doing is lawful, I will continue to do what is right,” he said.

Lindstrom claims he is selling human-grade ivermectin. While veterinary ivermectin—typically horse paste—can be purchased at feed shops, the human formulation requires a doctor's prescription to obtain and a pharmacist's license to dispense. Lindstrom does not claim to be a pharmacist.

Health Canada reported an increase in poisoning calls related to ivermectin in summer 2021 as it became a darling of the vaccine-skeptic community with animal variations of the drug having much higher concentrations.

Lindstrom’s website is selling ivermectin tablets at $5 a piece and appears to accept PayPal for payment processing. It lists an address of a Kelowna townhome as its location, an indication of how in-the-open the business is operating.

When contacted for comment, Health Canada referred Castanet to a page online that said anyone buying drugs online may be putting their health at serious risk.

“This is especially true if you order prescription drugs without being examined in person by a health care practitioner,” Health Canada said.

“A simple internet search will turn up hundreds of websites that sell drugs. Some internet pharmacies are legitimate, but many offer products and services that are dangerous. Some sell drugs that are not approved for use in Canada because of safety concerns. Some take advantage of people desperate for relief by offering ‘miracle cures’ for serious illnesses like cancer,” the agency continued.

“What they do not tell you is that it is dangerous to take a prescription drug without being examined in person and monitored by a health care practitioner to make sure the drug is helping you.”