“These products were purchased online from an overseas website and not from an Australian pharmacy.<\/p>\n
“Counterfeit products have not been assessed by us for quality, safety or efficacy. These products pose a significant public health and safety risk and should not be used.”<\/p>\n
The TGA first issued a warning<\/a> about the counterfeit Botox items in July last year when two batches of vials were seized at the Australian border.<\/p>\n The TGA says the vials of counterfeit Botox were shipped into Australia while packaged to appear as a genuine, tested product manufactured and sold by Allergan Aesthetics. (Supplied: Therapeutic Goods Administration)<\/p>\n Those products had the batch numbers C7211C4 and HA 33946. The packaging included “inconsistencies” such as spelling errors and the incorrect spacing or bolding of words, the TGA said.<\/p>\n The regulator is urging Australian consumers to avoid using Botox products with these counterfeit batch numbers and to take the items to a local pharmacy for safe disposal.<\/p>\n The regulator is continuing to check batch numbers and the Australian Border Force has been notified to “seize and destroy” any of the counterfeit items at the border, the TGA says.<\/p>\n New rules for botox and fillers are here<\/a><\/p>\n New rules have come into place aimed at better protecting patients from unsafe cosmetic procedures. Here’s what it mean for your next appointment.<\/p>\n The ABC has contacted Allergan Aesthetics and the Australian Border Force for further comment.<\/p>\n Botox, otherwise known by its scientific name Botulinum toxin, is described by the TGA<\/a> as an injected medicine that temporarily relaxes contracting muscles and blocks neurological signals that activate a person’s sweat glands or cause pain.<\/p>\n It is typically used medically to treat overactive muscles that cause conditions such as excessive blinking, “lazy eye” or twitching, but is also used to prevent overactive bladders, headaches, excessive sweating and frown lines or wrinkles.<\/p>\n In Australia the medicine is prescription-only and individuals who hold valid prescriptions can legally import products for personal use but are not allowed to ship counterfeit items into the country, the TGA says.<\/p>\n The TGA also issued a separate warning for other batches of the counterfeit Botox in July, 2025. (Supplied: Therapeutic Goods Administration)<\/p>\n Injections “should only be administered by a doctor familiar with the required technique”, the regulator says.<\/p>\n The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) said that “cosmetic injectables such as Botox are prescription medicines for a reason”.<\/p>\n “Going to a registered health practitioner who has the necessary skill and training to safely prescribe and administer these medicines is a critical step to making sure they are the right choice for you,” a spokesperson said in a statement.<\/p>\n “Trying to source and use these medicines without a prescription runs the risk of serious side effects \u2014 a risk made much worse if the medication turns out to be counterfeit.<\/p>\n “Our biggest concern is that some patients are seeking cosmetic injectable services via social media.<\/p>\n “Many of these services are performed by people who are not registered health practitioners and are using illegal products of unknown origin.”<\/p>\n A Queensland nurse who injected Botox into a patient without consulting a doctor or a valid prescription was banned this month from practising for at least two years after an investigation by the AHPRA, which regulates Australia’s registered healthcare workers.<\/p>\n Cosmetic surgery sector is a work in progress <\/a><\/p>\n Nearly four years after Australia’s multi-billion-dollar cosmetic surgery industry sparked outrage and was subjected to long overdue reforms, the sector hasn’t done enough work.<\/p>\n Victorian and NSW regulators also issued urgent public safety warnings in January last year after authorities were made aware of four cases of suspected botulism caused by unregulated anti-wrinkle products injected in an unlicensed premises.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01c5125432e51bc7bc7385c9f3145a8b.jpeg\")
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