Markey Commends FDA for Expanding Triclosan Ban to Include Health Care Antiseptic Products

Statement

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule that over-the-counter health care antiseptic products such as patient skin preparations, surgical hand scrubs and health care personnel hand washes containing triclosan, along with 23 other chemicals, can no longer be sold. In September 2016, the FDA banned the use of triclosan in consumer hand and body washes, and today finalized a rule banning the use of this chemical in other over the counter antiseptic products intended for health care settings. The FDA is giving manufacturers one year to reformulate or remove these products from the market and after then will require any products containing triclosan, or the other banned ingredients, to receive a new drug approval by the FDA.

"For decades, triclosan has been marketed and sold as a miracle ingredient to prevent everything from disease transmission to preventing dirty socks from smelling," said Senator Markey. "Today's announcement from the FDA brings us one step closer to closing the regulatory black hole where triclosan has been hiding. I am pleased that the FDA has taken the action to ban triclosan from health care antiseptic products. Now we must extend this ban to all over-the-counter antiseptic rubs and products intended for use by or on children.

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