The head of Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Professor Tony Lawler, has directly addressed the nation’s recent sunscreen controversy, asserting that the regulator has been actively engaged in addressing the issue. In his first public statement since the scandal broke last year, Professor Lawler expressed his hope that a proposed overhaul of sunscreen regulations will serve to restore public confidence in both sunscreens and the TGA itself.
“The very public consultation that we’re undertaking is around rebuilding that public trust, not only in sunscreens but also the function of the regulator,” Professor Lawler stated, highlighting the TGA’s commitment to transparency and public engagement.
A Comprehensive Overhaul of Sunscreen Regulation
The TGA has unveiled a series of potential changes that could lead to a complete reimagining of how sunscreens are regulated in Australia. These proposals come after a period of intense scrutiny, influenced by both international developments and domestic investigations, including significant SPF testing by consumer advocacy group CHOICE and in-depth reporting by the ABC.
Professor Lawler emphasised that the TGA has not been idle while these reform proposals have been developed. “It’s not that we’ve been sitting on our hands and waiting for this consultation process,” he explained. “I think it’s important to note that where we have found the need for regulatory activity, which includes mandatory recalls, voluntary recalls and public notices and alerts, we’ve taken that action. We’ve also been balancing the need for prompt action versus considered and proportionate action.”
This proactive approach has seen the TGA taking decisive steps where necessary, balancing the urgency of public safety with the need for thorough and appropriate regulatory responses.
Ongoing Investigations and Commitment to Standards
The TGA’s investigations into sunscreens flagged for potentially underperforming against their labelled SPF claims by CHOICE and the ABC are continuing. Professor Lawler assured the public that the focus on regulatory reform does not absolve individual products of their responsibility to meet current standards. “The focus on regulatory reform does not lift from individual products their responsibility to perform against the current standards … so the investigations you cite will continue,” he confirmed.
While Professor Lawler declined to comment on specific upcoming regulatory actions or potential recalls, he reiterated the TGA’s commitment to public safety. “In terms of what regulatory action might be upcoming, I’m not going to comment on individual investigations, but where we do find that there’s a deviation between regulatory expectations, particularly where that presents a risk to the public, you can expect us to take appropriate action,” he stated.
Consumer Group’s Support and Key Proposals
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has welcomed the TGA’s commitment to continuing its investigations into potentially non-compliant sunscreens. Andy Kelly, Director of Campaigns at CHOICE, described the news as “fantastic” and expressed strong support for the proposed overhaul of Australia’s sunscreen regulations.
“This is the TGA recognising that there are some serious flaws in the way that sunscreens are currently regulated,” Mr Kelly said. He added that the proposed changes, which aim to expand testing methodologies, would empower the TGA to conduct its own compliance testing. “So, in future, it hopefully shouldn’t take an organisation like CHOICE having to do that testing ourselves.”
CHOICE also applauded the TGA’s proposed risk-based approach, which prioritises addressing the worst-performing sunscreens first. “Since we did our test over 20 products have either been recalled or paused from sale, which is a really good result,” Mr Kelly noted, highlighting the impact of their initial testing.
Areas for Reform and Public Consultation
The TGA’s consultation document outlines seven key areas for regulatory reform, offering multiple options for proposed changes within each. These areas include:
- SPF Testing Methods: Exploring alternative and potentially more robust methods for testing Sun Protection Factor.
- Oversight of Testing Laboratories: Enhancing the supervision and accreditation of laboratories that conduct SPF testing to ensure accuracy and reliability.
- Simplified Labelling: A significant proposed change involves moving away from numerical SPF ratings and introducing a simpler system of classifications: low, medium, high, and very high protection.
This new labelling proposal, however, has drawn some criticism from stakeholders, including CHOICE. Mr Kelly expressed concerns that the shift from familiar numerical ratings to a new system could confuse consumers. “Australian consumers are quite used to the number rating, it has been around for a long time,” he commented. “So our concern is with replacing that, consumers need to get used to a new ratings system.”
Professor Lawler is keen for these issues, and indeed all aspects of the proposed reforms, to be thoroughly discussed during the public consultation period. The TGA is actively encouraging a broad range of feedback, not just from industry experts but from all Australians who use sunscreen. “We really hope there’ll be a wide and varied response,” he concluded, underscoring the importance of public input in shaping the future of sunscreen regulation in Australia.
