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A nurse from Portadown was yesterday fined £720 by a court in Northern Ireland for the unlawful possession and advertising of prescription medicines intended for sale or supply.

Nafeyka Chavdarova, 44, was charged with offences in breach of the Human Medicines Regulations and told to pay an offender levy by Craigavon Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to nine charges relating to the unlawful possession of prescription medicines including injectable botulinum toxin type A, hydroxocobalamin, hyaluronidase and lidocaine.

Enforcement officers conducted a search of her home in Clendenning Avenue, Portadown, in March 2024 where they seized unlicensed prescription medicines intended for sale or supply. The Department of Health (DH) said Chavdarova was operating her home as an aesthetics clinic.

“This conviction sends a clear message that there are consequences if a person attempts to bypass the regulated system and controls which are in place to ensure public safety and integrity of the medicines supply chain,” said the DH’s senior medicines enforcement officer Peter Moore.

“I would urge people to consider the implications of buying drugs online or from dubious sources – there is no way of knowing what you are buying is what you think it is, and this can have serious consequences for your health.”