The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has again warned people against the use of ivermectin.

In a statement on Friday, the authority said its stance was aligned to that of the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that ivermectin did not have proven antiviral properties for Covid-19 treatment.

The FDA said it was aware of reports that some people were self-medicating with the drug and even using the animal formulation.

Earlier this year, Sahpra warned that using the drug without it having gone through scientific testing and protocols could impact people's health and lead to death.

CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela said, "Sahpra is also monitoring the illegal sale of so-called ivermectin by unscrupulous individuals. The public should not buy any drug online or from unauthorised dealers."

Sahpra has registered Soolantra 10mg/g cream formulation, which contains ivermectin. The cream is for the topical treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory lesions of papulopustular rosacea in adult patients and it is not for Covid-19 treatment, it said.

It added that, like the FDA, it also warned against fake news and misinformation about the drug.

Sahpra added that the medical treatment of any disease should be overseen by medical professionals.

Semete-Makokotlela said the health authority's focus was on the health and well-being of the public and that it continued to engage the scientific and medical community to explore options for controlled and monitored access to reliable quality ivermectin-containing products for use by humans.