New regulations for injectable cosmetic treatments.

You may have recently heard in the press that the regulations surrounding injectable cosmetic treatments have changed quite dramatically in the last couple of weeks, and this may have led to considerable uncertainty and possibly worry for anybody having such treatments

 Following some revelations on a Panorama programme about doctors who are prescribing Botox for administration by non –prescribing  nurses and,worryingly, even medically unqualified beauty therapists, the practice of so-called “remote prescribing” has been banned by the General Medical Council (GMC), and one doctor has already been suspended for this practice.

What remote prescribing means is that the doctor is prescribing treatment for a patient who he/she has not personally assessed face to face, and it is then administered by a non-medical aesthetician .This is a practice that has gone on for some time both in large chain clinics and also a lot of small nurse-run salons, but it is only now that the GMC have taken action to stop it.

The rules are now clear. Doctors, dentists or qualified nurse prescribers can only prescribe Botox after a face-to-face consultation.

I would like to reassure you that as far as my practice is concerned nothing has been affected. As a practicing dentist and medical prescriber I will continue to individually assess, prescribe and administer all injectable treatments as appropriate, following the highest standards possible so that your ongoing satisfaction and safety are ensured.