Zimbabwe’s medical products regulator, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has warned against the sale and use of unregistered skin-lightening products better known as bleaching.
The Authority flagged after finding no supporting guidelines for proper dosages and length of treatment, Health Times reported citing a circular by MCAZ Acting Director General Mr Richard Rukwata. Read the circular:
The MCAZ warns the public on the dangers associated with the use of skin-lightening products such as oral /injectable Glutathione and injectable Vitamins. To date, there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of oral/injectable Glutathione and injectable Vitamins for skin lightening. There are also no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimens and duration of treatment. Glutathione and Vitamins are registrable products. The MCAZ has not approved/registered any injectable products or such products for skin lightening.
Side effects on the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening include toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, and the nervous system. Furthermore, the side effects may include severe skin reactions such as Stevens Johnson syndrome, hives or allergic reactions, weight gain, losing pigmentation of hair, eye infections and disorders.
Glutathione also affects the production of melanin, the pigment that gives the human skin, hair and eyes their color. Injectable Glutathione is sometimes paired with intravenous Vitamin C, and Vitamin C injection may form kidney stones if the urine is acidic. Large doses of Vitamin C have resulted in hemodialysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Other potential risks include transmission of infectious agents, such as HIV, hepatitis C and B. This is of particular concern when non-medical practitioners administer these treatments.
The Authority has noted with concern that several beauty salons, wellness and beauty shops are offering all kinds of beauty enhancements, services, and skin treatments. It is alarming that these also offer services such as intravenous drips or infusions using skin lightening agents including Glutathione tablets or injectables combined with injectable vitamins.
It is an offence to sell unregistered medicines without authorisation. As the Authority responsible for protecting public and animal health, MCAZ enforces adherence to the use of registered medicines and will exercise its statutory mandate against perpetrators of these criminal acts. Thus, in order to uphold this mandate, all medicines should be registered by the MCAZ prior to marketing and use. To know which medicines are approved to be sold in Zimbabwe you should visit the MCAZ online register, https://onlineservices.mcaz.co.zw/onlineregister/frmRegistersHome.aspx where a list of all registered medicines is found.
The authority is mandated to safeguard public and animal health by ensuring all medicines and medical devices on the market are safe, effective and of good quality.
MCAZ said it will take legal action against offenders who import, sell and administer unregistered medicines in Zimbabwe.