FDA eyes regulating spas, wellness clinics after finding potentially illegal practices

With spas and wellness clinics flourishing in the country, Philippine authorities are considering regulating them to protect customers' health and welfare.

The Food and Drug Administration said this after finding some of these establishments used unlicensed or unregistered cosmetic products, or engaged in non-approved treatments.

"(T)he FDA is still studying if it will cover all spas and beauty skin or wellness clinics in its licensing or permitting systems to protect the health and welfare of the consumers," FDA administrator Kenneth Hartigan-Go said in FDA Advisory 2014-022 dated March 28.

The advisory was posted on the FDA website this week.

In the meantime, Hartigan-Go urged the public to check if health products used in these establishments are registered with the FDA, through its website www.fda.gov.ph or email at report@fda.gov.ph.

He also stressed that "all health products used by the said establishments require FDA market authorization."

Findings

This early, the FDA noted some potentially harmful practices by some spas and wellness centers, after monitoring health products offered by 15 establishments between Dec. 2 and 5 last year.

Of the 15, Hartigan-Go said six are in San Juan City, five in Muntinlupa City and three in Taguig City. Most establishments were inside malls, he added.

Among the findings of the FDA inspection were:

Some establishments used cosmetics products that were "not notified with or had no market authorization from the FDA."

Some unlicensed establishments were repacking the products manufactured by legitimate cosmetic manufacturers in Makati City, Davao City, Quezon City, Pasig City, Manila City, San Juan City and Cavite. The repacked content would be re-labeled with the spa or clinic's name. Hartigan-Go said the FDA Act of 2009 bans the manufacture of any health product without the proper FDA authorization, adding repacking of a finished product is considered a manufacturing activity.

Three clinics offered glutathione injections to their clients. Use of glutathione as systematic skin whitening agent has no approval from the FDA.

Some owners or dermatologists possessed injectable botulinum toxin medicines.

On the other hand, Hartigan-Go said no establishment was directly offering "stem cell" treatment to clients.

Use only FDA-approved products

The DFA advised spas and beauty, skin or wellness clinics to use only health products that have market authorization from the FDA.

"All unlicensed establishments are warned against repacking and/or re-labeling of FDA Notified Cosmetics products," it added.

It also compelled all FDA-licensed manufacturers and distributors to report spas or clinics that are repacking or re-labeling notified cosmetics products. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News