The Department of Health (DOH) has reiterated its stance against the off-label use of injectable glutathione as a skin whitening agent. This announcement comes in the wake of public scrutiny over celebrity mom Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla’s gluta drip session inside the office of her husband, Senator Robinhood Padilla.
Rodriguez-Padilla faced online backlash after posting a photo of herself undergoing the procedure at the senator’s office, which has since been deleted due to the criticism. The incident also caught the attention of Senator Nancy Binay, chairperson of the Senate Ethics Committee, who voiced concerns about the conduct, integrity, and reputation of the Senate, as well as health and safety issues, since the procedure was done without notification from a clinic.
In a statement released on February 24, 2024, the DOH clarified that there are no published clinical trials supporting the safety and efficacy of injectable glutathione for skin lightening, nor are there any guidelines for its proper dosing and treatment duration. While injectable glutathione is approved by the FDA Philippines as an adjunct treatment in cisplatin chemotherapy, the FDA has not approved any injectable products specifically for skin lightening.
The DOH further stated that once the FDA approves a drug for entry into the Philippine market, the regulation of its prescription falls to the doctors who are authorized by their license to practice medicine, granted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
