The pharmacists’ watchdog has vowed to investigate and “take action” after the BBC exposed illegal and potentially harmful practices in the cosmetic Botox industry.
Under UK law, Botox can only be given with a prescription from a qualified doctor after a face-to-face consultation with the patient to check that it is safe for them.
But undercover BBC investigators caught several pharmacists trying to prescribe the drug to beauticians for use on people who had not been clinically evaluated.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) said it was continuing to examine the BBC’s evidence for its own investigation.
Chief enforcement officer Dionne Spence said: “We will take enforcement action against pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians when necessary to protect patient safety.”
Under UK law, only a doctor, nurse prescriber or pharmacist or dentist is legally allowed to prescribe botulism toxin – commonly known as Botox – after a proper face-to-face clinical assessment.
They are also required to ensure that the drug is provided to an experienced injector for administration.
However, the BBC’s investigation revealed a series of breaches by regulated pharmacists.
East London pharmacist Cornelius Agoye from Rainham was filmed selling vials of Botox to an undercover BBC reporter posing as a beautician intent on injecting clients.
Mr Agoye asked the reporter to fill out paperwork that would create a false record of a patient consultation.
He also told the BBC he was willing to illegally provide additional Botox with the same prescription for use on other patients – which constitutes fraud.
When approached by the BBC, Mr Agoye apologized and admitted his behavior was below professional standards.
Other pharmacists who were filmed or spoken to by undercover BBC investigators, posing as beauticians, described taking similar shortcuts.
One suggested skipping required face-to-face consultations and falsifying photos to trick regulators into believing a patient had been seen.
The investigation also revealed potentially dangerous activity beyond community pharmacies.
These include a nurse offering to sell prescriptions via WhatsApp for cash and a fake doctor selling an unlicensed and potentially dangerous Korean medicine on the black market.
Ms Spence told the BBC she was “very concerned” and “incredibly disappointed” by the findings.
“Our guidance is also clear that when providing non-surgical cosmetic medical products such as Botox, there must be a physical examination of the individual to support a safe prescribing decision,” he said.
He said the GPhC had already tightened guidelines on online drug procurement and was working closely with the industry’s other watchdogs to regulate the provision of Botox prescriptions.
“We are also working with governments and policy makers to identify how the legal and regulatory framework in this area could be strengthened and any legislative gaps addressed,” he said.
After concerns about unsafe practices in the beauty industry, the government is considering new legislation close windows and crack the “cowboy cosmetic operations”.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said it was developing a new national licensing system for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, designed to protect patients and raise standards across the industry.
