A Lower Mainland woman who held Botox-injection parties has been fined $5,000 for contempt of court for holding herself out as a doctor.
Earlier this month, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C said it had cracked down on parties at private Vancouver homes as it continued to control unlicensed medical practices involving the popular cosmetic product.
Maria Ezzati, who the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. said is not a registered or licensed health professional, had been ordered in 2017 by two B.C. Supreme Court judges to stop administering Botox or dermal fillers.
She had operated businesses in Vancouver and Richmond.
On Feb. 20, after a private investigation, the college and police raided Ezzati with aid of a court order on suspicion she was storing cosmetic medical injectables.
The raid came after investigators attended a “Botox and filler party” at a private residence where video evidence was found of Ezzati allegedly injecting three different individuals and of allegedly taking cash payments for the service.
The college said Ezzati’s alleged conduct is a violation of the 2017 orders, adding it would pursue contempt of court proceedings against her.
So, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper March 9 found Ezzati in contempt of two court orders that she stop practicing medicine and cease using titles reserved for medical professionals.
Gropper said, in a July 2017 letter to the court, that Ezzati had said she would delete references in the “services” portion of her website relating to injecting Botox or other fillers; delete any reference to herself as “Dr.” or “physician” from her website, and social media accounts; and destroy any business cards, letterhead and other documents holding her out as medical professional.
Despite the court orders, Justice Gropper found the “contemptuous conduct was repeated with 38 individuals and the invoice book in her office indicates that those individuals may have been billed a combined amount over $22,000.”
Ezzati told the court there was no evidence that any clients who consulted her on the risks of botulinum toxin and dermal filler received injections.
“I do not accept Ms. Ezzati’s position that there was no evidence her conduct caused harm. Since she referred to herself as ‘Dr.,’ despite the title being reserved for members of the College, the clients who consulted Ms. Ezzati were led to believe she had medical qualifications.
“Ms. Ezzati admits that using the term ‘Dr.’ was a mistake,” the ruling said.
The court said Ezzati’s conduct was “flagrant and wilful and intended to defy the court’s authority.”
This isn’t the first action the college has taken against such practices in the past year.
In July 2019, a B.C. Botox- and cosmetic filler-provider known as ‘Dr. Lip job’ was jailed by the B.C. Supreme Court for 60 days for practicing medicine contrary to a court injunction.
The court ordered Rajdeep Kaur Khakh jailed for 30 days, a sentence she had avoided after being given a suspended sentence after having been found guilty of contempt in January. The court added a further 30 days for further actions in February in violation of a court order.
She had also been ordered to stop holding herself out as a medical professional.
The court said Ezzati’s case was not as egregious as that of Khak’s.
