07/09/2025
‼️ 2 YEARS IN PRISON ‼️ ARE YOU SELLING OR SUPPLYING UNLICENSED BOTULINUM TOXIN?
MHRA and Environmental Health Criminal Enforcement UNIT are active across SCOTLAND will be ramping up activity to catch individuals supplying and selling unregulated botulinum toxin.
**Why Has the Law Changed Around the Sale and Supply of Anti-Wrinkle Treatments in Scotland?**
It is illegal for any prescribing healthcare professional to work outside of a Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)-registered clinic when providing aesthetic treatments in Scotland. If you are not attending an HIS-registered aesthetics clinic and are being supplied or sold anti-wrinkle treatments or products, the individual selling you these products is breaking the law. They could face up to 2 years in prison under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
**Why Was This Not Illegal Before?**
It has always been illegal in the UK to supply and sell unregulated medicines, as per the regulations surrounding the Human Medicines Act. Yet, enforcement of this law has been insufficient, and the activity went unpoliced for years.
Many non-medically qualified injectors in the UK may not fully realise that they are breaching regulations. These individuals facilitate the avoidance of face-to-face consultations with prescribing professionals and often directly supply and sell low-cost, untested, unregulated, and imported products, which is illegal.
**Why Is Enforcement Happening Now?**
Enforcement is being ramped up due to a public health crisis triggered by an exponential rise in non-medical injectors offering unregulated treatments. This surge has been directly linked to a substantial increase in botulism cases being reported in hospitals across the UK.
The UK Government and its agencies are now prioritising enforcement of existing laws to prevent the public health situation from spiraling further out of control. There is a concerted effort to apply maximum legal penalties to those breaking the law in the interest of protecting patient safety.
**Why Are Some Products Banned in the UK?**
❌ Products originating from countries such as South Korea, including well-known brands like Botulax, reNTox, Innotox, and Toxpia, are not authorised for sale in the UK. This is because they:
❌ Lack approval from UK regulatory bodies (e.g., the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency – MHRA).
❌ Are often untested, unregulated, and may pose serious risks to patient health.
By strictly enforcing the Human Medicines Act 2012, the Governments of the UK and Police aim to significantly reduce public exposure to dangerous, imported, unregulated products.
This proactive approach will help prevent injuries and complications caused by the injection of these unauthorised substances.
Enhanced enforcement safeguards public health by ensuring that all aesthetic treatments comply with legal and MHRA standards, thereby reducing the risks posed by untested and unsafe products.
Please read the article below :
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-crackdown-on-illegal-botox-after-victims-left-seriously-ill #:~:text=Anyone%20caught%20selling%20or%20supplying,the%20Human%20Medicines%20Regulations%202012
