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.