A WOMAN has been arrested for allegedly practising cosmetic therapies illegally in the country.
The GDN learnt the Filipino national was prescribing and administering intravenous drugs to help ‘whiten skin’, a practice condoned globally by health regulators.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) said in a statement that the expat was caught ‘red-handed’ during an investigation carried out in co-ordination with security and judicial officials.
“As soon as the case was reported, the judicial control officers at the NHRA made the necessary investigations to check the validity of the information,” said the statement. “In co-ordination with the General Department of Investigations and Forensic Evidence, the violation was caught in ‘flagrante delicto’.
“All pharmaceutical tools and medical supplies were seized, in addition to medicines that are not licensed in Bahrain that were being used for the illegal practice.”
NHRA chief executive Dr Maryam Al Jalahma told the GDN that the case was brought to the authority’s attention as part of proactive monitoring of social media activities that appear illegal.
Treatment
“The woman was treating and prescribing IV drugs to whiten skin at her personal apartment,” Dr Al Jalahma said. “All materials were taken into custody by NHRA inspectors and the woman was referred to the Public Prosecution.
“It came up as part of our continuous monitoring, especially on Instagram, and we are also notified by members of the public.
“We worked alongside the Criminal Investigation Directorate. We had to take permission from the Public Prosecutor as the activities appeared to be being carried out in personal accommodation.”
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has so far not approved any injectable drugs for skin whitening or lightening.
It has also warned consumers of these products, which include both injectable skin whitening and skin bleaching products, as potentially unsafe and ineffective, and might contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants.
The IV drugs are marketed for injection into a vein or muscle or under the skin. They are mostly sold online and can also be found in some retail outlets and health spas. They often promise to lighten the skin, correct uneven skin tone and reduce blemishes.
Some spoof products even claim to treat conditions such as liver disorders and Parkinson’s disease.
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