The Washington Medical Commission’s (WMC) position on COVID-19 prevention and treatment is that COVID-19 is a disease process like other disease processes, and as such, treatment and advice provided by physicians and physician assistants will be assessed in the same manner as any other disease process. Treatments and recommendations regarding this disease that fall below standard of care as established by medical experts, federal authorities and legitimate medical research are potentially subject to disciplinary action.

The WMC supports the position taken by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) regarding COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. The WMC does not limit this perspective to vaccines but broadly applies this standard to all misinformation regarding COVID-19 treatments and preventive measures such as masking. Physicians and Physician Assistants, who generate and spread COVID-19 misinformation, or disinformation, erode the public trust in the medical profession and endanger patients.

The WMC will scrutinize any complaints received about practitioners granting exemptions to vaccination or masks that are not based in established science or verifiable fact. A practitioner who grants a mask or other exemption without conducting an appropriate prior exam and without a finding of a legitimate medical reason supporting such an exemption within the standard of care, may be subjecting their license to disciplinary action.

The WMC bases masking and vaccination safety on expert recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

The WMC relies on the U.S Food and Drug Administration approval of medications to treat COVID-19 to be the standard of care. While not an exhaustive list, the public and practitioners should take note:

• Ivermectin is not FDA approved for use in treating or preventing COVID-19
• Hydroxychloroquine (Chloroquine) is not FDA approved for use in treating or preventing COVID-19

The public and practitioners are encouraged to use the WMC complaint forms when they believe the standard of care has been breached.

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The Washington Medical Commission promotes patient safety and enhances the integrity of the medical profession through licensing, rulemaking, discipline, and education. Learn more about the commission at WMC.wa.gov. Follow the WMC on Facebook and Twitter.

Special meeting where the WMC adopted this position statement: https://youtu.be/P5qDoNWfdhI

PDF of the statement as adopted: WMC Position Statement