Last week, the CDC and FDA started an investigation into 19 reports of patients across nine states falling ill after receiving counterfeit Botox. The symptoms included blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and difficulty lifting their head, according to an official FDA announcement.
“FDA takes reports of counterfeit products seriously and is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health departments and manufacturers to help protect the nation’s drug supply,” the announcement read. The most recent incidents have occurred at the hands of both licensed and unlicensed injectors at nonmedical or unlicensed establishments.
AbbVie and Allergan Aesthetics are the only authorized suppliers of Botox and Botox Cosmetic and have been for the last two decades. “We have a comprehensive supply chain security program to ensure that all products manufactured are safe, secure, and sold through authorized distribution channels,” Allergan Aesthetics said in a statement. It is working with public-health authorities and has confirmed the security of its supply chain, as well as the safety, quality, and efficacy of the products it distributes. The problem patients are finding isn’t with these FDA-approved injections; the counterfeit products masked in cartons reading “Botulinum Toxin Type A” instead of “OnabotulinumtoxinA” and other non-English labels on cartons are the products that are causing harm.
How do I know if my injector uses FDA-approved Botox?
Tip one: Always look at the box.
“If patients don’t see the vial and the box from the injector or if the injector comes into the room with the syringes already filled with a liquid, those are red flags,” said double board-certified and beloved NYC plastic surgeon Dr. David Shafer, M.D., FACS. “You don’t know what you’re having injected into your body.”
Seeing the vial and seeing it mixed up in front of you in the treatment room is one way to see exactly what is going into your body. Whether it’s Botox Cosmetic, Dysport, or Xeomin, Dr. Shafer stresses the importance of seeing the box that the product comes out of. He doesn’t want people to be scared of getting Botox; instead, just be cautious and go to a reputable physician, dermatologist, or surgeon who has a “higher standard of ethics.”
Tip two: Don’t skimp on your face.
“If the price is too good to be true, then there’s something fishy,” Dr. Shafer says. Frequenting unlicensed places and getting injections from places like nail salons, the mall, or even “Botox parties” aren’t ideal places to get injections as there is no way to confirm what’s being injected into your body.
How do I know for sure that I’m getting FDA-approved Botox injections?
Tip one: Ask for the material by name.
“What happens in many cases is people use the word ‘Botox’ ubiquitously, not specifically for Botox Cosmetic, so you’ll go to an office and ask for Botox, they’ll say they’re giving you Botox, but what they’re really not giving you is Botox Cosmetic. You need to clarify what you’re getting from the practitioner to clarify that you’re getting genuine Botox Cosmetic. Use that term and ask them specifically about it,” Dr. Shafer says.
Tip two: Ask to see their license.
The surgeon has had patients who have visited med spas or went to a new injector and didn’t know they received faulty injections until he injected them with genuine Botox and they saw the difference. “You don’t know until you know,” he says, so it’s extremely important to only go to medical professionals who work in licensed establishments.
What do I do if I feel sick after receiving Botox?
Immediately contact a health professional or go to the emergency room, the FDA says.
“Any kind of sickness that you’re getting from a fake Botox is because it’s not Botox that you’re getting; it’s a different concentration of it or some other kind of foreign-produced substance,” Dr. Shafer says. Stay safe out there!
