Botox will no longer be injectable by anyone in the UK. The health service has issued a report recommending stricter legislation in this area.
The UK is tightening the screw on Botox and other anti-aging injections. Untrained professionals will soon no longer be allowed to perform injections containing fillers. They will first have to undergo practical training, the content of which is still under discussion.
National Health Service (NHS) medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh has conducted a systematic review of cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatment. He concluded that there was a need to strengthen the fairly lax legislation in this area. In the UK, only botox is prescribed, and it can be injected by anyone. So much so that in 2011, a mother was in the news for injecting botox into her eight-year-old daughter. Dermal fillers are not subject to any specific regulation: anyone can buy them and then inject them.
A “coming crisis”
“Dermal fillers in particular are a matter of concern as anyone can establish themselves as a practitioner, with no requirement of knowledge, training or experience. There are not enough checks on the quality of the product – most agents are no more controlled than a floor cleaner. Our opinion is that dermal fillers represent a crisis to come, ”points out Professor Keogh’s report.
A stricter framework in France
In France, the law is much stricter. Like all injectable products, botulinum toxin is considered a medical device, therefore subject to a marketing authorization (AMM). This has been the case since 2003, and the injection is reserved for dermatologists, plastic, face and neck surgeons, specialists in maxillofacial surgery, who must be trained in the technique. The same goes for fillers, which since 2003 have represented 600,000 syringes sold per year. Since 2010, the requirements have increased. In addition, the ANSM reserves the right to monitor the market and laboratories, but also to carry out inspections at manufacturers.
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