The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned the public on the unsafe use of injectable glutathione, which affects the production of the pigment that gives the human skin its colour (melanin).

The Authority said no injectable glutathione or any other injectable skin lightening agent had been approved by the FDA for such use and cautioned the public against it.

A statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency said there was no clinical evidence on the safety and effectiveness of such products so far.

It said there were also no published guidelines for correct dosing and duration of treatment.

Injectable glutathione posed significant safety risk to users with its side effects including toxicity on the liver, kidneys and nervous system, and a serious skin reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome, it said.

The statement said Glutathione also affects the production of the pigment that gives the human skin its colour (melanin) and may pose a risk of skin cancer with long term use, it stated.

Unapproved products not properly evaluated by the FDA may be improperly manufactured and may contain unknown harmful ingredients or contaminants, it said.

"Apart from the dangers of the product itself, administering it under unsterile conditions or by people who are not certified to administer injectable preparations is unsafe and may lead to transmission of diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C," it said.

The statement, therefore, advised consumers to seek the help of certified medical professionals for any skin conditions and avoid buying injectable medicinal products online or from unauthorised or unqualified professionals.

It urged the public to report the sale of glutathione injectable products or any unregistered products to the FDA on 0551112224/0551112226 or on twitter; fdaghana, Facebook; Fdaghana and at fda@fda.gov.gh.