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Written question asked by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Thursday, 12 May 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 May 2022. It was answered by Maria Caulfield (Conservative) on Tuesday, 17 May 2022 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Botulinum Toxin: Health Education

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the risks of botox substitutes, such as botulax.

Answer

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency monitors the safety of all medicines, any emerging new evidence in relation to any illegal use of medicines and will take regulatory action where necessary. Botulax is a brand of botulinum toxin not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Botulinum toxins are prescription-only medicines and must be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional or medical practitioner. The prescriber may delegate the administration of the medicine to a secondary practitioner who is not required to be a healthcare professional. However, the prescriber retains responsibility for ensuring the treatment is provided safely.

While there have been no specific discussions with the Welsh Government, we are committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures. Advice for those considering receiving botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes is available at NHS.UK. This includes ensuring that the chosen practitioner has the skills to perform the procedure safely and recommends asking the practitioner for the name of the product, whether it is licensed and how and where it is made.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1114
Session
2022-23
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Health education Botulinum toxin Non-surgical cosmetic procedures
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk