The Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule Dec. 19, banning the use of most powdered medical gloves.

The rule, which goes into effect Jan. 18, applies to patient examination gloves, powdered surgeon's gloves and absorbable powder for lubricating a surgeon's glove. 

"While use of these gloves is decreasing, they pose an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury to health care providers, patients and other individuals who are exposed to them, which cannot be corrected through new or updated labeling," the agency said in a March news release.

In its summary of the rule, the FDA also noted that the ban "does not apply to powder used in the manufacturing process" of nonpowdered gloves, "where that powder is not intended to be part of the final finished glove" and said "finished nonpowdered gloves are expected to include no more than trace amounts of residual powder from these processes, and the agency encourages manufacturers to ensure finished nonpowdered gloves have as little powder as possible."

Read the entire rule here.

The ADA Science Institute monitors and posts links to alerts and recalls of oral care products.

The KDA's endorsed service, Association Gloves, has reached out to buyers to notify them of this ban and help them select another option. For more information on products available through Association Gloves, visit kansasgloves.com.