A woman who unlawfully advertised Botox on her social media pages has been fined £600, Northern Ireland’s country’s department of health (DoH) announced last week (August 20).

Nadine Poole, of Whitehill Lodge in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to six charges relating to breaches of the Human Medicines Regulations at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court following an investigation by the DoH’s medicines regulatory group.

The DoH investigators found that Poole’s “Doll House Beauty” pages on social media had published advertisements for the prescription-only medicine (POM) Botulinum toxin, or Botox, between September and October 2023.

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Then in November 2023, an enforcement officer working for the DOH’s medicines regulator visited Poole’s premises in Bangor, County Down where she was “providing treatments”. 

At the premises, DoH officials seized “a quantity of unlicensed medicinal products” which included meditoxin (Botox), lidocaine, sodium chloride and hyaluronidase.

“Consequences”

The DoH official who directed the investigation Peter Moore said that Poole’s conviction and fine showed that there are “consequences for those who bypass the regulated system which is in place to ensure the integrity of the medicines supply chain”. 

Moore said that “cosmetic clinics and other similar outlets” should “review their websites and social media material” to make sure that they are legally compliant.

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The head of DoH’s medicines regulatory group Canice Ward said that POMs should be used only “after seeking appropriate advice from a healthcare professional”. 

She added that the DoH is “taking all possible steps to combat the illegal promotion, supply or misuse of medicines”.