Aesthetics visited the headquarters of ACRE last month to gain insight into the company’s processes, and the role it plays in protecting the integrity of aesthetic pharmaceutical products.
Aesthetics geared up in high-vis before being guided through the warehouse by co-founder and director Robert Melville, who explained the importance of safeguarding the supply chain from manufacturer to clinical setting. He said, “The qualification process begins with where we buy the stock from. Is that entity correctly qualified to be able to source and supply the products?”
The tour began at the goods-in area, where Melville pointed out the designated bays used to receive deliveries. From there, Aesthetics was shown where products are offloaded and logged, with temperature-monitored storage areas clearly marked. “We follow a process which ultimately protects the integrity of the product,” Melville explained.
“That starts with the vehicle it’s delivered in, the temperature control of that vehicle and proof that the products have been transported in the manner they should have been, based on the labelled conditions.”
On entering the facility, products undergo a thorough verification process. “This is to ensure the product is as expected and we haven’t received something we shouldn’t be happy with,” Melville explained.
ACRE sees its role as a crucial link in the regulated wholesale chain. “Our function is to be the gatekeeper – to manage the correct handling and distribution of the product until it reaches a setting where the next phase is the patient.”
He adds, “The safety of the patient is paramount. Our job is to protect the integrity of the product as long as it lives in that space.” Since entering the aesthetics world in 2018 as a subsidiary of CST Pharma, the business has applied pharmaceutical standards to the distribution of aesthetic products.
Melville commented, “We’ve maintained and improved standards over time, qualifying both suppliers and customers.” He noted that ACRE’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licence, gained as part of the group’s longstanding regulatory framework, has supported further growth, including preferred distributor status with Galderma.
“We wouldn’t enter aesthetics without implementing the same governance we apply elsewhere,” he added. Looking to the future, Melville shared his view that, “It’s clear regulation is still some way off. But we passionately believe that if everyone follows best practice, you don’t need regulation, because you self-regulate. Our system supports that principle by helping to ensure compliance from all parties involved.”
He added that the platform is constantly updated in line with guidance from professional bodies such as the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP).
