Thematic image. Unlike over-the-counter beauty products, prescription skincare is a personalized skin treatment typically containing strong, active ingredients that must be prescribed by dermatologists to ensure the right dosage and minimize the risk of adverse side effects. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is scaling up its efforts to clamp down on the illicit trade of prescription skincare products amid growing concerns from the public about the impact on health.
The BPOM temporarily closed down a factory in Bandung, West Java, over the weekend on suspicion of mass producing illegal prescription skincare.
Spokesperson for the drug regulator Eka Rosmalasari said the factory had “repeatedly and systemically violated” prevailing health regulations and that the incidents possibly affected the safety of their products.
“We have banned the factory from producing any products for the next 30 working days and have asked them to impose corrective actions,” Eka said over the weekend as reported by Kompas.com.
“We’re also investigating deeper into the factory operations to find possible criminal violations,” she added.
Unlike over-the-counter beauty products, prescription skincare is a personalized skin treatment typically containing strong, active ingredients such as tretinoin, hydroquinone or corticosteroids that must be prescribed by dermatologists to ensure the right dosage and minimize the risk of adverse side effects.
It is often referred to as “blue label” skincare because its prescription label is blue, just like any other prescription topical medication.
In recent years however, skincare factories and beauty clinics have been mass producing prescription skincare and selling them to the public without taking into consideration each customer’s skin conditions.
BPOM acting head Rizka Andalusia previously said that the use of blue label skincare without doctors’ supervision “can endanger” the health of customers.
She also said that prescription skincare products usually contained unstable ingredients, leading to a shorter shelf life and making them unsuitable for mass production.
Dermatologist Fitria Agustina said that improper use of prescription skincare products could cause a range of skin problems, including exogenous ochronosis which is a rare skin condition that causes blue-black or gray-brown discoloration of the skin.
Unsafe use of prescription skincare products can also worsen acne breakouts and cause irritation, skin itching and burning.
Dermatologists and the public at large have been voicing concerns over the alleged rampant trade of illicit prescription skincare, particularly online.
Responding to the concern, the BPOM launched in May a nationwide campaign to educate the public on the danger of using illegal prescription skincare.
The agency also works together with the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and Indonesia Pharmacist Association (IAI) to strengthen monitoring of medical professionals who illegally mass produce prescription skincare.
This year the BPOM confiscated 51,791 pieces of illegal cosmetic products from beauty clinics across the country, including illicit prescription skincare, expired products and cosmetic products containing dangerous ingredients.
Asia News Network/The Jakarta Post
