A lot has already been said about the dangers of illegal and falsified drugs that are encountered in the practice of aesthetic medicine specialists. However, the Ipsen company again draws the attention of doctors to the urgency of the problem, as it notes an unprecedented increase in the number of counterfeit products on the market.
Ipsen introduces Dysport® to Ukrainian consumers and reminds that its counterfeits are not only prosecuted by law. They can cause irreparable harm to the health of the patient, hopelessly ruin the reputation of the doctor and the drug. For readers of estet-portal.com, we will once again remind you of the dangers of illegal and counterfeit medicines and how to recognize them.
What are the dangers of counterfeit medicines used in cosmetology?
Of course, Ipsen has many specific elements that help specialists accurately distinguish the original Dysport® from the counterfeit. However, it happens that some preparation of botulinum toxin is bottled in bottles similar to those in which Dysport® is produced. The same packaging is printed for it, similar labels are pasted, instructions are included, and the price is much lower than that of the drug from the official distributor.
It should be remembered that the manufacturing process of the original drug consists of strictly defined stages that ensure the safety of its use for the patient.
These stages – isolation of botulinum toxin type A, its accumulation, titration, removal of the required amount of the substance in arbitrary units for each series of the drug. When it comes to counterfeit, the doctor will not be able to be sure what type of botulinum toxin is in the vial, whether the actual dose of the substance corresponds to the declared one, whether the substance is free of impurities. This endangers the life and health of the patient.
What pharmaceutical products are classified as illegal and why should they be avoided?
Any product can be called illegal if it entered Ukraine illegally. In fact, legal import implies compliance with all the rules of transportation and storage that are necessary for a particular product. For botulinum toxin preparations – it is mandatory to maintain a certain temperature.
Ipsen products are packaged in special boxes equipped with temperature control devices. Then the boxes are placed in thermal boxes designed for transportation of this type of product. Strictly specified temperature parameters are maintained at all stages of the journey – from loading to storage in a customs warehouse and further until arrival at the final consumer.
If a drug crosses the border illegally, no one can guarantee compliance with the cold (temperature) regime. If it is violated, the activity of the active substance decreases. Because of this, after the administration of the drug, there may be an insufficient effect or no effect at all.
Read also: Protection against counterfeiting: Council of Europe fights fraudsters
How can you be sure that you are dealing with a legal drug and not a counterfeit drug?
First of all, any drug undergoes the registration procedure in the country where it will be sold and used. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine issues a registration certificate for the drug and enters it into the State Register of Medicines of Ukraine.
The official base of the registry is publicly available. If you have any doubts, you can check whether the drug has official registration.
Next, the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control issues a certificate – permission to sell each batch of the drug entering the country. Such a certificate indicating the series and some other data about the drug is always available in pharmacies and official distributors of medical products.
Marketing certificate and certificate for a specific batch of Dysport indicating the number of active units – the most important documents confirming the legality of the medicinal product.
Finally, the third level of consumer protection – is the issuance of a license to a distributor company for the right to sell specific drugs. The license confirms that the company has the proper conditions and facilities for the proper transportation and storage of medicines, and that the company complies with all laws and distribution practices. When purchasing Dysport® from an official distributor, you can always ask about the availability of a license and make sure that the drug meets all the requirements.
What should alert the doctor and give rise to a re-check of the proposed drug?
Most often, a sign of illegal or counterfeit goods is a lower price compared to that requested by the official distributor. Another alarming factor should be the unusual packaging of the product. Of course, manufacturing companies sometimes change the design, but distributors are warned about this, and they – doctors with whom they cooperate.
The number of the registration certificate issued in a particular country for the indicated dosage and form of release is indicated on the packaging of the original drug.
If the package is in doubt, send Ipsen a photo of it or other documents attached to the drug. The company's experts will give an opinion on the origin of the product, and if it is illegal or falsified – apply to law enforcement agencies to stop its distribution. Remember that not only the distributors of illegal products, but also their buyers, are liable under the law, especially if the patient’s health was harmed due to its use.
It is important to understand that if all drug distributors and physicians cooperating with them work in the legal field, then patients can be sure of both the quality of the products and the safety of procedures using them.
If you want to check the originality of Dysport® fill in your data at the link.
estet-portal.com cooperation with the European pharmaceutical company IPSEN. This company is widely known in the world due to the release of medicines. Its innovative developments in the field of various branches of medicine are presented in more than 100 countries of the world. For Ukrainian doctors, the company provides not only medicines, but also cosmetic products. We are delighted to be able to work with IPSEN to help our beauticians improve patient care and quality of life through innovation in aesthetic medicine. Combining the efforts of a pharmaceutical company and qualified specialists allows us to effectively cope with any aesthetic tasks and meet the needs of patients.
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