Microbiological, scientific and regulatory perspectives of hand sanitizers

Abstract: Hand sanitizers are rub-on formulations for the purpose of inactivating microorganisms on the hands. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in the manufacturing, sale and use of hand sanitizers is observed. However, the effectiveness and safety of hand sanitizers are not well understood by the public; thus, hand sanitizer usage may not confer adequate protection and may pose safety threats. Globally, the emergence of safety threats and inappropriate manufacturer claims also suggest that regulatory frameworks are insufficient in ensuring optimal effectiveness and safety standards for hand sanitizers. This paper presents an overview of the activity of antimicrobials as active ingredients in hand sanitizers and the principles of test methods to evaluate the effectiveness of hand sanitizers. Different antimicrobials confer different activities, rendering some more useful than others. There are also no specific compendial test for efficacy of hand sanitizers and the choice of test method is left to the discretion of manufacturers. It has also been reported that a significant number of hand sanitizers were improperly labelled or had inappropriate claims. Implementing a tighter regulatory framework, developing pharmacists’ knowledge and capabilities, raising consumer awareness and debunking common myths are some possible solutions to address the problems encountered.