Beautician fined €10,000 for unlawfully performing botox-like treatments in her salon

She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial before Judge John Brennan of Dublin District Court began in 2017 but encountered legal wrangling over the admissibility of an alleged hearing of evidence. Prosecutors and defense counsel then asked the High Court for clarification in what is known as a consultative case.

Prosecution resumed in Circuit Court today and HPRA’s Brian Gageby BL said eight counts could be withdrawn.

Judge Brennan closed the matter by imposing fines totaling €10,000 on the 10 remaining charges, with eight months’ payment terms. He also set the recognition at 300 euros in the event of an appeal against the conviction.

The trial had heard that the term Botox was a brand and trademark but not a product mentioned in the indictments. However, it was used as a generic term for similar products with the same active ingredient botulinum toxin A.

HPRA Inspector Niall McCarthy told the trial he had obtained a search warrant and went to Ms Rossi’s home on Howth Road in Raheny, Dublin.

Invoices from a supplier of health products for Dysport were found. She told him that there was Dysport on her premises.

The Anne Rossi Clinic on Vernon Avenue was also inspected. Dysport was found in a fridge and Ms Rossi, a former psychiatric nurse, was questioned under caution, the trial heard.

Mr McCarthy said that during the interview she admitted she had had botox-like treatments with Dysport and had done so for the past year.

In her statement, she said she injected clients after showing them areas that needed Botox treatment, which cost around $250 to $300, according to the study.

He said Ms Rossi told him: “I knew I’d been on a sticky wicket for the past year or so.” He said she knew the product was under prescription control.

He said she claimed she tried to find a doctor to do the treatment at her clinic but couldn’t get one.

Dysport contains the prescription substance botulinum toxin A.

It was the case of the prosecution that it was illegally imported into the state without authorization and administered to clients by injection at Ms. Rossi’s clinic. Prosecutors argued that a doctor or pharmacist had to do this.

Three women had told the court that they had received the treatments at Ms Rossi’s beauty clinic in 2014 and 2015 and that no doctor was present.

dr Muckesh Lalloo, a skin surgeon who works at an HSE clinic at Blanchardstown Primary Care Center in Dublin, told the court he reported the Anne Rossi clinic to the HPRA after a patient with “one brow lower than the other” admitted had come to him. . He said it was consistent with the “improper administration” of botulinum toxin A, which has a freezing effect.

dr Katherine Mulrooney told the court she had an arrangement with the Anne Rossi Clinic from 2008 to 2012. She would see several patients on any given day and administer Botulinum Toxin A in either Dysport or Botox. The doctor brought her the products and she said they had to be administered by a naturopath like a doctor.

If necessary, she also took over the follow-up care in her main clinic.

dr Mulrooney was shown six copies of orders allegedly emailed in 2014 from the Anne Rossi Clinic to a UK-based health cosmetics supplier with orders for packs of Dysport. She agreed that they had her medical registration number and name. However, she said it wasn’t her signature and that she hadn’t worked for the Anne Rossi Clinic since 2012.

She said she didn’t allow her to use her medical registration number.

It was alleged that from November 20, 2014 to January 27, 2015, Ms. Rossi did not dispense a drug without a prescription from a pharmacist. She was also accused of illegally importing the product and placing it on the market without a permit.

Dysport is a Botox-like product used in various treatments but best known for its anti-wrinkle and anti-aging effects.

A court conviction on the charges may result in a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.