OTC sale of hydroquinone-laced skin creams to be banned as DTAB clears proposal; doctors’ body seeks tougher steps

To curb the indiscriminate over-the-counter (OTC) sale of fairness creams containing hydroquinone, a bleaching agent, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the country’s highest drug advisory body on technical matters, has cleared a proposal to amend an appended footnote to bring such products also under Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act.