Why does Botox and Juvederm cost significantly less in the UK?

Question

I am in the UK for Xmas. I've had botox & juvederm for my lips in Los Angeles. Juvederm for my lips costs me $690 & botox is $15 a unit. In the UK, juvederm is £150! That's only $180 dollars. It's a standard here with trusted doctors. Botox costs anywhere from £100-350£ here and they charge by area. You can botox every part of your face for £350. Why is it so expensive in the US? I'm feeling so ripped off. Are plastic surgeons paying more in the US or are the prices just hiked up? Honestly?

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

I commonly see patients from the UK.  They have gotten service in London.  They pay substantially less for service there but it is not very good.  Consequently they fly 10 hours to Los Angeles and see my for corrective treatment.  That made their original service very expensive indeed.  If you want product shoved into your face, you can save a few bucks.  If you want art, you pay a premium for that level of care.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Fillers and botox in other countries is way less expensive.  Here it's based on experience, location, and costs to the provider.  Please see an expert.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! The price of services is always proportional to the living standards of the area where the office is located. Even within the US you will find higher prices in Los Angeles and New York, in comparison to smaller towns in different areas. Providers pay different price for fillers since pharmaceutical market price of the same product differs for different regions. Best of luck!

Hardik Soni, MD · Answer

The price of services is always proportional to the living standards of the area where the office is located. Even within the US you will find higher prices in Los Angeles and New York, in comparison to smaller towns in different areas. Providers pay different price for fillers since pharmaceutical market price of the same product differs for different regions.

Susan F. Lin, MD · Answer

Corporate greed.  Allergan works with FDA to make  sure that rather than having 80+ fillers available to us as in Europe, there will be only handful of choices in US.  This is so they can increase price for the products and cost to physicians and consumers.  Rest of the world operates in free market but not in US.

Melvin Elson, MD · Answer

This is very interesting. I have taught doctors how to inject materials in 52 countries and have noticed the same thing. The answer is simple. Allergan charges what the market will bear and what they think doctors will pay

Chris Thiagarajah, MD · Answer

Doctors in the US get charged more than British doctors for the cost of the Botox and Juvederm. Those increased costs are transferred to the patient. The previous poster had it right on the mark.

Drew Varano, MD · Answer

Allergan ( the makers of Botox and Juvederm) charge significantly higher cost to physicians in the US to purchase either product ( or all drugs for that matter) therefore the hiked up cost is passed along to the patient. This goes for most drugs /pharmaceuticals  , that you will find them cheaper outside the United States.

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

First thing that you need to account for the pricing difference is that the pound is at a very low level right now due to Brexit. I think it's at a multidecade low vs the dollar. Also, the suppliers, particularly Allergan, charge significantly higher prices to the US doctors than those outside the US. They also make it illegal to import the less expensive Botox from Canada. The US will always pay more for these services and the companies know they can get away with higher profit margins in the US. It is also customary for Allergan to raise their prices about 4% each year as well.

Lisa Vuich, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Yes you have guessed correctly. Physicians in the UK are able to get syringes of filler and vials of botox for a fraction of the price it costs US physicians to obtain the very same product in the US. It is however completely illegal for a US physician to import these products from other countries because botox is a prescription med and filler is a class 3 medical device- both regulated by the FDA. If a US physician is caught doing so, it results in steep fines, loss of medical license and potential jail time. Every year there is still a consistent 3 to 5 % increase in our cost to obtain these products, which at some point gets passed on to you the consumer. The only thing that might change this would be more competition in the market (the UK has MANY many more brands of filler and botox available) but once again, it is the FDA that controls what can be legally marketed in the US.

Best,

Lisa Vuich, MD

Best,

Lisa Vuich, MD

Why does Botox and Juvederm cost significantly less in the UK?

Answers (11)

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