Written question asked by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 May 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 May 2022. It was answered by Maria Caulfield (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 May 2022 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Botulinum Toxin

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is monitoring the use of illegal botox substitutes by practitioners in relation to non-surgical aesthetic procedures.

Answer: The Department has no current plans to monitor the use of illegal botox substitutes. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the United Kingdom and ensures that all such products licensed for use meet all applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. The MHRA monitors the safety of all medicines and remains vigilant for any emerging new evidence from Yellow Card Reports, scientific publications or information from patients and stakeholders in relation to any illegal use of medicines and takes regulatory action where necessary.

Secondary information