The pharmaceutical watchdog has vowed to investigate and “take action” after the BBC exposed illegal and potentially harmful practices in the aesthetic Botox industry.
Under UK law, Botox can only be prescribed by a qualified doctor after personal consultation with the patient to ensure it is safe for them.
But Undercover BBC investigators catch several pharmacists tried to prescribe this medicine to cosmetologists for use on people who have not undergone clinical examination.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) said it was continuing to review the BBC's evidence for its own investigation.
Its chief executive, 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, pharmacist or dentist is authorized to prescribe botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, after an appropriate face-to-face clinical assessment.
They are also required to ensure that the medication is delivered to an experienced injector for administration.
However, a BBC investigation found a number of violations by regulated pharmacists.
East London pharmacist Cornelius Agoye, from Rainham, was filmed selling bottles of Botox to an undercover BBC reporter who posed as a beautician intending to inject 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 supply an extra dose of Botox on the same prescription for use by other patients. – which is fraud.
When contacted by the BBC, Mr Agoye apologized and admitted his behavior had not met professional standards.
Other pharmacists filmed or interviewed by undercover BBC investigators posing as beauticians said they used similar methods.
One suggested skipping required face-to-face consultations and doctoring photographs to fool regulators into believing the patient had been seen.
The investigation also identified potentially dangerous activity outside of community pharmacies.
These include a nurse offering to sell prescriptions via WhatsApp for cash and a fake doctor selling unlicensed and potentially dangerous Korean medicines on the black market.
Ms Spence told the BBC she was “very concerned” and “incredibly disappointed” by the findings.
“Our recommendations are also clear: when providing non-surgical cosmetic medical products such as Botox, a physical examination of the individual must be performed to decide whether it is safe to prescribe,” she said.
She said the GPhC had already tightened rules for the online supply of medicines and was working closely with other industry watchdogs to regulate the supply of Botox prescriptions.
“We are also working with governments and policymakers to determine how the regulatory framework in this area can be strengthened and any legislative gaps can be addressed,” she said.
After concerns about unsafe practices in the aesthetic industry, the government is considering the possibility new legislation close loopholes and crack down on “cowboy beauty treatments.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said it was developing a new national licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures to protect patients and raise standards across the industry.
