UNAIR NEWS – Covid-19 pandemic has affected Indonesia for the last couple of months. It has made some sanitation and health products scarce on market. Surgical masks and hand sanitizers are two products that often run out quickly.
Information regarding how to make hand sanitizers is widely distributed in mass media. Some people actually take advantage of these situations to gain profits, by selling fake hand sanitizer products.
Reported by Surabaya Pagi, there are fake factory-made hand sanitizer products that are sold online at very high prices. Some characteristics of the fake hand sanitizer are no permit from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), luxurious packaging to deceive consumers, and product name in English.
Dr. Retno Sari, MSc., Apt, UNAIR pharmacist regretted the phenomenon. Moreover, there is no protection for the people who buy products that do not have permission and they cannot sue.
The lecturer known as Retno explained that every product must have distribution permit. The hand sanitizer product itself is included as household health supplies group (PKRT). The policy related to PKRT distribution permit refers to the Regulation of Minister of Health No.1190 / Menkes / Per / VIII / 2010 concerning the Circulation of Medical Equipment and PKRT permits.
“PKRT is a tool, material or mixture for the care of human health, which is intended for use in households or public facilities,” said Retno.
According to regulations, hand sanitizer products are antiseptics that fall into the low-risk class 1 category. It means that the product has no risk to the health of individuals or the community as long as it is used in accordance with its designation.
Regarding hand sanitizer products manufactured by fake factories, there is no guarantee that the product is effective in killing microorganisms such as fungi and viruses.
“The effectiveness of hand sanitizer products sold by incompetent manufacturers cannot be accounted for their effectiveness,” Retno said.
One of the characteristics of a product that has been granted a marketing authorization is distribution permit number from the Ministry of Health. Unfortunately, it is still possible for the person to fake and / or imitate the marketing authorization number that is included on the package.
For this reason, one of the efforts the community can make is to be careful when buying products. People are encouraged to buy products, especially health products such as hand sanitizers in proper places, in official stores such as pharmacies.
If they had to buy in from e-commerce services, they must be very clever to see product reviews to be purchased. Because, many merchants who sell good products, but there are also those who sell inferior quality products and even fraud.
“Therefore, the public is expected to be careful in choosing and buying products. Look at the writing about the composition and distribution permit listed on the label, “Retno concluded.
Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia
Editor : Binti Q. Masruroh
