Fears over illegal sales of acne drug roaccutane

BBC Inside Out investigates illegal sales of roaccutane, the powerful prescription-only drug used to treat severe acne.

Roaccutane works by suppressing the activity of sebaceous glands in the skin, reducing the amount of oil produced by these glands.

However, it can have severe side effects including depression and suicidal thoughts, and is only licensed on prescription from a consultant dermatologist.

As a result, there are concerns about the growing number of illegal online sales of the drug.

Reporter Jonathan Gibson traces illegal online sales of the drug in Britain to a Turkish company with a registered office in Coventry in the West Midlands.

He also speaks to Lynda Scammell from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about what can be done to tackle illegal sales.

Inside Out is broadcast on BBC One West Midlands on Monday, 23 March at 19:30 GMT and nationwide on the iPlayer for 30 days thereafter.