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HealthFDA

FDA ends temporary COVID rule that let companies make hand sanitizer

By
Catherine Larkin
Catherine Larkin
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
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By
Catherine Larkin
Catherine Larkin
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
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October 12, 2021, 12:01 PM ET
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U.S. regulators are ending temporary policies that allowed more companies to produce hand sanitizer at the height of the pandemic, saying there’s no longer a shortage.

Companies making sanitizers or alcohol for use in hand sanitizers under the temporary rules have until the end of the year to stop manufacturing and until March 31 to distribute their remaining supply. After March, the Food and Drug Administration says it will resume its normal policies of regulatory enforcement as it pertains to hand sanitizers.

The move is another small sign that life in the U.S. is returning to normal even as COVID-19 rages in other parts of the world. Hand sanitizer was one of the first products to disappear from shelves last year and continued to be popular even after studies suggested the virus was more likely to be transmitted through the air than from surfaces.

Distilleries, breweries and perfume companies pivoted to help meet demand with the help of the FDA easing its rules for hand sanitizer, which is normally regulated as an over-the-counter drug.

Surveys showed that supply disruptions for hospitals have decreased significantly, and reports indicate a surplus of hand sanitizer products at retailers, the FDA said.

More health care and Big Pharma coverage from Fortune:

  • Everything to know about Merck’s COVID antiviral pill
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  • Florida sees a more than 50% drop in new COVID cases
  • 46% of the world’s population has received a COVID vaccine. How your country is doing
  • More than 6 million Americans have already gotten a COVID vaccine booster

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By Catherine Larkin
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