Sunshine Coast doctor Georgina Hale facing disciplinary action over Covid drug controversy

A Sunshine Coast doctor, who is about to release a book, has tried to stop plans for disciplinary action against her after she allegedly prescribed an antiparasitic drug to a patient with Covid-19.

Dr Georgina Hale was subject to a review and restrictions on her registration over controversy she had allegedly prescribed Ivermectin to a patient with Covid-19. Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP

A Sunshine Coast doctor has asked a Queensland tribunal to stop the Medical Board of Australia from continuing disciplinary action against her over controversy surrounding a patient with Covid.

Doctor Georgina Hale, described in court documents as “highly accredited and experienced” in infectious diseases, made an application to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to end restrictions on her registration on January 30, 2023.

She had also asked a review be conducted into the Board’s decision into the restriction.

Court documents stated Dr Hale works as an adjunct clinical associate at the University of the Sunshine Coast, but a spokeswoman for the university said she had not been at the institution since 2021.

The documents state she had restrictions placed on her registration by the Board over controversy she had allegedly prescribed Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used to treat worms in animals, to a patient with Covid-19.

This “appeared” to be to treat the early stages of the virus and not to prevent infection.

On October 27, 2022, she was notified the Board had imposed conditions on her registration after her alleged management of the virus raised concerns.

Dr Georgina Hale had previously worked at the University of the Sunshine Coast (pictured), court documents revealed. Photo: Brett Wortman / Sunshine Coast Daily

The documents stated Dr Hale did not deny she had prescribed Ivermectin, but instead offered “reasons or excuses” to the Board as to why she allegedly did.

This included the prescription of the drug being within the Therapeutic Goods Administration guidelines at the time, “considerable ambiguity” about the drug’s status at the time and a lack of available information stating the drug was not appropriate to treat Covid.

The documents stated Dr Hale argued a review into her conduct should not go ahead and claimed it would negatively affect her reputation and reduce the number of patients visiting her clinic.

It would also negatively impact a book she was about to launch on women’s health, she claimed.

Dr Hale had been practising for 35 years without complaint or disciplinary action, prior to this incident, the documents stated.

Dr Hale’s application was dismissed and the matter was listed for a directions hearing on February 10, 2023.