Counterfeit, illegal and incorrectly stored and distributed aesthetic products
How to ensure you are only using safe, genuine and effective products in your Aesthetic Practice
The recent seizure of fake toxins is a reminder of the importance of ensuring you are sourcing your aesthetic products through recognised UK suppliers.
Counterfeit product
This recent episode is not a one off. HA Derma, the manufacturers of Profhilo, issued a warning last year that counterfeit Profhilo products were in circulation in the UK.
Imported product
Some suppliers claim to have bona fide product they have imported themselves from suppliers outside of the UK. This is known as parallel importing. This may sound satisfactory but where is this product coming from and who are the suppliers?
Safe storage and distribution
We are all aware that temperature sensitive toxins must be stored and distributed within a set temperature range, usually +2c to +8c. What is less obvious is that a lot of other products have a temperature range as well, albeit a wider range. Most dermal fillers must be stored and distributed between +5c and +25c. If allowed to drop below the minimum or exceed the maximum the effectiveness of the product is potentially diminished.
UK suppliers and pharmacies are regulated and audited to monitor that they are storing and distributing product properly and safely to ensure the efficacy of the product is not compromised. While temperature extremes are becoming more common, with summer highs exceeding +40c on the continent and winter lows significantly colder than the usually mild UK. How can safe storage and distribution be regulated and checked if the source of the stock is from an unknown supplier abroad?
Safe sourcing
The simple answer to avoid all these potential pitfalls is to ensure you are sourcing your aesthetic product from recognised UK suppliers as approved by the manufacturers. We recommend you speak to the manufacturer of the product to identify which UK pharmacies they are supplying, or call us at Aesthetics Associates. If they are not supplying the pharmacy you are using, just consider the risks this has for you as a practitioner, the risk to your business, but most importantly the risk to your patient.
Jayne Beckett RN INP
Jayne has been an aesthetic practitioner since 1995 and is the founder of Aesthetics Associates.
Aesthetic Associates only sources product through the recognised UK suppliers as directed by the manufacturer of the specific aesthetic products. Contact us for more information.