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Triclosan Among Ingredients Banned from Antiseptic Washes

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This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a rule eliminating the use of 24 active ingredients, including triclosan, from over-the-counter antiseptic washes and scrubs, according to the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. 

The FDA first proposed the rule in 2015, after it determined the ingredients were no longer recognized as safe and effective, and were not appropriate for over-the-counter use. Manufacturers of the antiseptic washes, which are commonly used in health care settings, have one year to remove the barred ingredients. Of the 24, triclosan is the only ingredient currently marketed.

In 2016, the FDA banned triclosan and 18 other antiseptic ingredients from consumer antiseptic washes. Health care and food service facilities were not impacted by the 2016 ruling, but Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported that managers of these types of facilities could expect to see the rules impacting these industries by early 2018.