A "drug" making claims of "improving skin colour" is prohibited under Schedule J of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules.
Published Jan 30, 2024 | 9:29 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 30, 2024 | 9:30 PM
Fair & Bright Cream is a ‘drug’ and the claim ‘improves skin colour’ is a prohibited claim for a ‘drug’ as per ‘Schedule J’ of Drugs Rules. (Supplied)
The Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) has seized a “drug” named “Fair & Bright Cream” — which claimed to lighten the skin tone — from Miryalaguda in the Nalgonda district.
According to the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, marketing drugs or creams claiming that they would “improve the skin colour”, is illegal.
DCA officials of the Nalgonda Zone detected the “drug” being marketed under the brand name “Fair & Bright Cream”.
The composition was hydroquinone, tretinoin, and mometasone furoate, with a label claiming that it “improves skin colour”.
On Monday, 29 January, the DCA officials detected the drug at Sri Gopi Krishna Medicals Miryalaguda.
The label claimed it contained hydroquinone, which would lighten dark patches on the skin, and tretinoin, which would improve the appearance of the skin by diminishing wrinkles, besides softening and improving the skin colour.
Hydroquinone works by reducing the amount of melanin. Tretinoin belongs to a class of drugs called retinoids that are used to treat mild acne, among other things.
Mometasone furoate is a corticosteroid that acts on itchy and swollen skin.
The resulting cream apparently used to treat and prevent dark brown patches on the skin known as melasma — a common skin condition that causes grey or brown patches and is more common in women than men.
The DCA said that the product was a “drug” and the claim that it “improves skin colour” was a prohibited one for a “drug” as per Schedule J of the Drugs Rules.
It said the drug was manufactured by BCL Pharma in Himachal Pradesh and marketed by Delhi-based Ashley Pharmatech.
DCA officials seized stocks worth ₹10,080 during their raid.
In another seizure, DCA officials seized 52 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, steroids, anti-ulcer drugs, antihypertensives, and analgesics worth ₹50,000 in a search on the premises of an alleged quack, Samaresh Halder, in the Nizamabad district.
The officials on Monday searched the premises of Halder, who claimed to be a “rural medical practitioner” and ran a facility called “Shriya Clinic” without the required qualification.
DCA officials detected several antibiotics at the clinic during the raid. Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics by an unqualified person could have disastrous consequences on the health of the public, including antimicrobial resistance.
The DCA said that wholesalers/dealers who supply medicines to such unqualified persons are also punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and stringent action would be taken against them.
Wholesalers or dealers should mandatorily ensure that the recipient entities hold a valid drug licence before supplying medicines to them, said the DCA officials.
