From the Board

  • From the Board
From the Board

Dear Doctor,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you about the potential consequences of obtaining and administering products containing the active substance “Botulinum Toxin” that are not licensed in our country. This letter has been prepared by the Pharmacovigilance and Controlled Substances Department of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK) un der the Ministry of Health. You can also access this letter at www.titck.gov.tr.
Recently, it has been identified that counterfeit versions of licensed drugs containing “Botulinum Toxin” are circulating in the market, and that unlicensed products claimed to contain this substance are being obtained through unauthorized supply chains.

  • There has been a significant increase in botulism cases reported to the Turkish Pharmacovigilance Center.
  • It must be emphasized that the use of counterfeit and/or smuggled, unlicensed products containing “Botulinum Toxin” may result in serious or irreversible health consequences for patients. These products carry risks such as impurities, lack of sterility, presence of particles, contamination, and dosage inconsistencies.
  • Therefore, physicians must refrain from using any products other than licensed medications.
  • In Türkiye, it is mandatory for medicine packaging to include a data matrix code to ensure that drugs reach end users under safe and effective conditions. These codes are tracked via the Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System (ITS). Each original product has a unique code, but counterfeit products often use copied codes from licensed originals. As a result, multiple counterfeit products may appear as legitimate in the ITS system.
  • Licensed “Botulinum Toxin” products must be obtained only through authorized pharmaceutical warehouses or distributors. Physicians must be aware that products should not be purchased from unknown sources such as individuals, unauthorized companies, or social media.
  • Before using any medication containing Botulinum Toxin, physicians must review the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and ensure usage is in accordance with the therapeutic indications and dosage/application guidelines.
  • To view the list of licensed Botulinum Toxin products in Türkiye, you can scan the data matrix code and access the “Licensed Products List” published on our website.

As the MESTDER Board, we are doing our utmost for you, our valued members working in the field of medical aesthetics.
Beyond educational planning, we are also working to ensure that medical aesthetic physicians reach the legal status they deserve.
We continue our efforts to develop curriculum programs in education, establish continuous training plans in medical aesthetics, resolve legal issues in the profession, and ensure that our Ministry responds to the needs and demands of medical aesthetic physicians.
For this purpose, we need your participation in the working groups we have established and will continue to establish. By joining these groups and sharing your ideas and efforts, we can reach our goals more quickly.
We truly believe that, with your contributions, we will succeed.

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