In November 2004, four people became paralyzed after purportedly receiving Botox Cosmetic injections at a medical clinic. They were hospitalized with severe botulism poisoning. The paralysis was temporary—a result of being injected with potent, unapproved botulinum toxin.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated. As it turns out, about 30 doctors had injected an unapproved, cheaper substitute toxin for FDA-approved Botox Cosmetic into nearly 1,000 unknowing patients.
These doctors ended up with their licenses revoked, paying restitution and fines, and serving jail time.
Think it can’t happen to you? Of course it can. Companies and websites are still out there, offering doctors cheap alternatives to FDA-approved Botox and dermal fillers such as Restylane and Perlane.
When you buy Botox, always make sure you are buying the real thing. You know how the saying goes – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you buy Botox at prices that are significantly lower than the market price for the FDA-approved drug, you risk buying fake Botox that could injure your patients and land you in jail.
According to the FDA, Under federal law, no form of botulinum toxin may be commercially distributed for use on humans unless it has been approved by the FDA. At this time, Botox Cosmetic, made by Allergan is the only type of botulinum toxin approved by the FDA to temporarily soften the frown lines between the eyebrows.
Similarly to Botox, there are companies who offer doctors fake dermal fillers, including Restylane and Perlane. Those companies are marketing their products with slightly different names than the original, FDA-approved fillers. Don’t be one of those who don’t notice the “misspellings” and only see the price difference. These products are fake, and could be extremely dangerous for your patients. Those same companies often offer to sell deep chemical peel kits directly to consumers (!), which should be a HUGE warning flag for anyone browsing those websites.
Protect your patients. Protect yourself. When you buy Botox and dermal fillers, make sure you buy the real, FDA-approved drugs. Never allow yourself to fall for a scam or become tempted by extremely low prices. Remember: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
0
Responses