Buying Botox from a Canadian pharmacy - who's doing it?
Search Google for Botox information and you're very likely to run across ads promising heavy discounts on self-administered Botox injections.
Most sites appear under web addresses using keywords like Canada+pharmacy, clearly suggesting that buying Botox from Canada will help you skirt regulations in the US that prevent the sale of Botox direct to consumers.
Misleading marketing
Our staff examined a few of these sites (and blocked the advertisers from appearing on RealSelf.com's Google ad placements), after seeing clear signs of misleading marketing as well as learning from our doctors that buying Botox online without a prescription is dangerous and potentially lethal.
Botox sellers that actively promote using Google Adwords program include:
- discountmedspa.com
- canadadrugpharmacy.com
- CanadaPharmacyOnline.com
- CanadianPharmacyMeds.com
- pretique.com
- CanadaDrugCenter.com
- AxonMedicalSupplies.com
- NorthWestPharmacy.com
One of these sellers, called pretique.com is largely representative of what you can find at these sites. Confusing information, manipulative page descriptions, and FAQs suggesting self-injecting drugs is easy and low risk.
Pretique, for instance, has titled their homepage with a spammy, keyword mix that promises cheap Botox and many other cosmetic medicines: "Buy Botox is widely reknown for supplying professional treatements to Buy Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse and Botox online and at low pricing. Our products are direct from Europe. Everyone is welcome to order Botox, Buy Restlylane online, Dysport, Vitalift, Radiesse, Juvederm, and Sculptra. Medica Depot supplies Botox, and Botox."
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Yet, the Pretique page content actually makes no mention of Botox, the brand, and touts a Botulinum Toxin Type A called "Pretique." The site authors also appear to intentionally misspell the word Restylane in the sidebars of the page. At discountmedspa.com they refer to their Botox-like wrinkle product as "Freeze", that the site author clearly admits is a cover for calling it Botox.
I am sorry to say that the Forum was shut down due to the discussions using the term Botox all the time. We have to take care to call the product Freeze or the site tends to attract unwanted attention. Luckily, we have the security on our website of being hosted outside of the US, but the Forum was set up with a US company so it was subject to the copyright laws here.
Perhaps the most pressing question is, what's happening to those who've decided to buy online Botox. Who has tried to self-administer Botox?
If you know someone who has encountered a problem self-administering an injectable promising to be Botox (or another dermal filler) please share your anonymous comment.
Posted by Tom from RealSelf.com
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1 post
17 Sep 2009
I do not see North West Pharmacy selling Botox online and they are not on Google Adwords advertising it. I buy my Lipitor online from this site and they have always been very professional. You need to do better research next time.
1 post
17 Sep 2009
Any site that is advertising online would need to be Pharmacy Checker approved. I am not sure about the others but I know that AxonMedicalSupplies is approved and only sells to health care professionals. Our office usually places with them every 2 - 3 months & never had any problems. Dr. James.
1 post
17 Sep 2009
I could be wrong, but I believe the misspelling of Restylane is actually right. :) Are they not selling products named after popular brands with a slight twist in the spelling such as "Restylin" and "Perlyne". What is ones face really worth? :) When searching for buy botox I found a few other sites including wwww.rxpad.biz and www.medicadepot.com that sell only to doctors or with a prescription. Seems a little safer to me. :)
1 post
17 Sep 2009
All the sites you mention require a prescription to order Botox (I called everyone) Can you list the sites that don't require a prescription, that would be helpful for me - thanks.
1 post
17 Sep 2009
I've purchased a few times from CanadaDrugPharmacy.com and have never had any issues. They are Pharmacy Checker approved and I've always received very professional service. Delivery was rather quick as well. No complaints here.
1 post
17 Sep 2009
I work as an administrator for a cosmetic clinic and we've ordered a few times from CanadaDrugCenter.com. We're quite pleased with the level of their service. They require a prescription and verified our credentials. The product arrived quickly and was properly stored and packaged. We're quite happy and the product was perfectly fine.
1 post
25 Oct 2009
Okay, I ordered Pretique (Botulinum Toxin Type A ) and injected yesterday without incident. I am a nurse and have received Botox professionally once before. My sister who is also a nurse who works for a plastic surgeon walked me through it via Skype. I can see where this would be very dangerous for some lay person injecting themselves. I have to admit that I was a little surprised that the company could sell to the general public. I know it's a little early to see the full effects of my injections but so far so good. I'm already getting the desired affect of the toxin. I realize this was a big risk and I'm not sure I would recommend doing this unless you had an experience person right there with you.