With the outbreak of COVID-19 we are witnessing a rush to provide sanitisers at low cost, and it may have caused many non-drug manufacturers to skimp on quality checks. In 2019, hand sanitisers were a Rs. 10 crore industry, according to a report by Nielsen India. Its users were mostly from urban areas. Between February and mid-March, the report added, the demand for them on e-commerce platforms rose by 1,400%..

According to a market research report on Statistica.com, half of 8,000 Indian consumers surveyed in March said they couldn’t purchase sanitisers because there was a supply shortage; 26% of consumers were forced to buy brands they weren’t familiar with. On 13th March, the Union government included sanitisers in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, till 30 June. It came with price caps: 50p per 1ml or Rs. 500 a litre.

According to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, non-pharma companies can only describe their products as “hand-rubs" or “hand-cleansers", not “sanitisers". But many companies are flouting the rules, creating a false illusion of security for millions of users. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alerted enforcement agencies in all states and Union Territories, including the Maharashtra police, about attempts by fraudsters to dupe victims with a type of spurious hand sanitisers made with methanol, which is harmful for the human body.

Highly flammable and toxic, methanol is used in automotive antifreezes, in rocket fuels and as a general solvent but can impair human vision and the central nervous system if ingested or if its vapours are inhaled, sources said. The CBI alert is based on information received from the Interpol that has received reports on the use of methanol in making It is very unfortunate that at a time when people are living under the fear of COVID-19 and forced to buy facemasks and sanitisers, some unscrupulous elements are using the challenging time as an opportunity to con people by selling spurious sanitisers.

Similarly, in currents practices treatment of fungal infections is also being bigger problems and the reason is uncontrolled and non-prescribed use of topical corticosteroids. It leads to a resistance against antifungal drugs. Since, corticosteroids are easily available and their regulations for contamination are still inefficient, the market is full of such products. Days are not far when corticosteroids in skin health segment will become public health problem.

Corticosteroids as anti-fungal and steroids as ingredient for glowing skin, are something like alcohol, once the consumer gets addicted of it, him or her hardly being able to avoid it. Hence it’s the responsibility of the manufacturers to take onus of the limited and prescribed use of steroids.

Though, early results of product to consumers, their effectiveness and pricing ultimately are the factors that decide the success of your product, prescribed formulation based on steroids are need of the hour, not just for mid-term and long-term business growth, that will be sustainable approach. You need to avoid ultra-short term approach.