Doctor Medica Announcement Regarding Fake Products

Doctor Medica strictly adheres to Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards, ensuring the authenticity and safety of every product sold on our online store. We acquire all our products from manufacturers or authorized distributors, following a stringent process to guarantee quality.

Recently, the FDA alerted healthcare professionals about counterfeit cosmetic and medical products, including the BOTOX® brand of botulinum toxin. 

Every product sold at Doctor Medica comes with a guarantee of authenticity and safety.

We can provide the original LOT number for every order our customers make and encourage you to contact us for confirmation.

Key Takeaways

• Counterfeit products can be identified by examining both the packaging and the product itself. All products Doctor Medica offers are authentic, including those featuring packaging in foreign languages.
• Doctor Medica has been supplying cosmetic and aesthetic products since 2006. Avoid relying on distributors with obscured or nonexistent histories or those unwilling to accept transparent payment methods.
• Following treatment, if your patient displays symptoms like double vision, difficulties swallowing, dry mouth, or others, it’s wise to inspect your current inventory of products.

How to Spot Counterfeit Products

Here are some of the signs that the BOTOX® you have acquired may be counterfeit:

Inauthentic Dosage – BOTOX® 150u

Products are being sold with dosings that do not exist in legitimate forms.

The FDA has issued a warning regarding BOTOX® in 150u dosage, which does not exist in the legitimate offerings by Allergan Aesthetics / An AbbVie Company, the manufacturer of BOTOX®.

Legitimate doses include 50u, 100u, and 200u forms.

Inauthentic Product and Packaging

Here are some common tell-tale signs of inauthentic product packaging:

• Misformatted LOT Number

Ensure the LOT and expiry dates adhere to correct formatting standards. The FDA alerts about BOTOX® packages with lot number C3709C3. Doctor Medica offers LOT number verification for every product upon request.

• Discrepancies between the languages on the packaging and the vials

Counterfeiters may reuse packaging materials in different languages. Mismatched languages on the packaging indicate counterfeit products.

Not all foreign language products are inauthentic, however.

Doctor Medica offers genuine products from official manufacturers in other jurisdictions, meeting the same quality and approval standards. The sole distinction lies in the packaging language compared to products intended for domestic markets.

• Holograms

The lack of holograms on the packaging, or the presence of multiple holograms, indicates potential counterfeit products.

• Incorrect Active Ingredient Display

If the outer carton packaging of a BOTOX® unit lists the active ingredient as ‘Botulinum Toxin Type A’ instead of ‘OnabotulinumtoxinA’, it suggests an inauthentic product.

You Can Tell By the Weight

Counterfeit products often fail to match the exact weight of the genuine item. If you notice a difference in weight between two packages, it suggests that one may be counterfeit.

Identifying Inauthentic Products by Sight

Experienced medical professionals recognize that the interior of a BOTOX® vial typically appears empty to the untrained observer. An unusually large quantity of substance inside the vial can indicate a counterfeit product.

In some instances of counterfeit products, vials may even be missing their tops.

Identifying Inauthentic Sellers

Here are key indicators to be wary of when dealing with potential counterfeit sellers:

• Lack of Transparent Payment Processing

Avoid distributors who solely accept cryptocurrency, direct wire transfers, or Western Union payments, as they may evade traceable methods like credit cards. Such practices raise suspicions of selling counterfeit products.

• Absence of Genuine Customer Reviews Online

Difficulty finding authentic customer reviews online is a red flag indicating the need to reassess the authenticity of the seller.

• Lack of Long-standing and Verifiable History

An absence of evidence of online longevity is an immediate red flag.

Doctor Medica has been selling cosmetic and aesthetic products online since 2006.

• Ads on Dubious Platforms and Counterfeit Hubs

Avoid products sold through suspicious platforms like Alibaba, as they are often associated with counterfeit goods.

Signs of Treatment with Counterfeit Product

Here are symptoms outlined by the FDA that suggest the use of counterfeit BOTOX®:

• blurred or double vision
• difficulty swallowing
• dry mouth
• constipation
• incontinence
• shortness of breath
• weakness
• difficulty lifting one’s head

After treatment, if your patients report any of these symptoms, refer them to a medical doctor and verify the authenticity of your product. Book a meeting today with Doctor Medica to obtain authentic products directly from credible distributors and manufacturers.

References:

1. FDA Alert: Counterfeit Versions of Botox Found in Multiple States. Drugs.com. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://www.drugs.com/fda/counterfeit-versions-botox-found-multiple-states-14672.html
2. CDC. CDC: Harmful reactions linked to botulinum toxin injections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published April 15, 2024. Accessed April 18, 2024.  https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks/harmful-reactions-botox-injections/
3. Research C for DE and. Counterfeit Version of Botox Found in Multiple States. FDA. Published online 2024. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/counterfeit-version-botox-found-multiple-states