A CBC News investigation has revealed that unlicensed individuals at two Vancouver-area medical spas are illegally injecting patients with Botox for the treatment of wrinkles. The news provider went undercover at two clinics that advertise the popular injectable without specifically mentioning the name of a doctor.

At one, a CBC producer was told she would meet with a doctor. However, the man she met with, although he called himself "Dr. Lee," admitted to not being a medical doctor and denied knowing that patients thought he was a doctor.
"Yes, you need to be a doctor [to inject Botox]," Eddie Lee told the news source. "I'm not a doctor…so it is not illegal, and it is also not legal either."

Still, he insisted that he is qualified to administer Botox. "I've been to a lot of seminars, I been trained by a few doctors around the world to do Botox," Lee told CBC News. "If you know what you're doing, then just do it."

In the other Vancouver clinic, undercover news producers encountered a similar situation. The provider of cosmetic procedures, who admitted she is not licensed to practice medicine in Canada after being questioned, said she was qualified and had injected thousands of patients with the neurotoxin. One patient filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau after her eyelid collapsed and was swollen shut for weeks.

Following the investigation, health officials in Canada have launched their own investigation into the matter. CBC News reports that the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons and Health Canada are both looking for answers from the clinics.

Allergan, Inc, the makers of Botox maintain that only licensed, trained medical professionals can administer injections. Also, after investigating this matter they confirmed that both spas do not purchase their Botox from them, which could mean they were bought on the black market or are knock-offs.

In addition to finding a professional who is licensed to administer Botox injections, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) says it is important for individuals to make sure they understand the laws and regulations in other countries, which may or may not be the same as the US.