Leaders with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently released a proposed rule to ask for more scientific data to support the efficacy and safety of various active ingredients that are added to hand sanitizers.
These ingredients are added to topical consumer antiseptic rubs, whether liquids or wipes.
Additional data will be used to guarantee that regularly using these items will not endanger the safety of U.S. citizens. The FDA also wants to know whether these items are effective in cleaning. The issue at hand does not mean that U.S. health experts think these products are unsafe or ineffective.
“Today, consumers are using antiseptic rubs more frequently at home, work, school and in other public settings where the risk of infection is relatively low,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said. “These products provide a convenient alternative when hand washing with plain soap and water is unavailable, but it’s our responsibility to determine whether these products are safe and effective so that consumers can be confident when using them on themselves and their families multiple times a day. To do that, we must fill the gaps in scientific data on certain active ingredients.”
