Australian health practitioners who administer cosmetic injectables will be required to follow new regulatory guidelines aimed at “putting patient welfare first.”
These new rules apply to non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which include things like Botox, and lip fillers.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency says these guidelines will be enforced from September.
Practitioners
Under the new rules, nurses will need to complete an additional year of full-time practice under supervision before becoming qualified to independently perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Health practitioners must also provide more comprehensive information to patients. The information must not “glamorise cosmetic procedures” or “minimise their complexity”.
The information must also not “overstate results or imply the person can achieve outcomes that are not realistic”.
Under 18s
Queensland is the only state that has legislated a ban on performing a cosmetic procedure on a child. Elsewhere in the country, there’s no minimum age for these procedures.
However, the National Boards (a group of boards for each health profession) explicitly say that Botox and fillers should not be prescribed for cosmetic purposes for those under 18.
For any minors who are considering it, the new rules mandate that there now be a seven-day ‘cooling-off period’ after a minor’s initial consultation.
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Practitioners won’t be permitted to accept payment for procedures during this ‘cooling-off’ time, and they will need to refer under 18s to an independent health practitioner to discuss their reasons for seeking the procedure.
Practitioners will also be expected to give greater consideration to the views of parents or guardians.
Advertising aimed at those under 18 will also be completely banned.
Social media
There will now be a complete ban on social media influencer testimonials. This includes a ban on health practitioners providing free or discounted procedures for the promotion of cosmetic procedures.
There will also be stricter rules for advertising, which similar to the information provided to patients, must not glamorise procedures, understate the complexity, or overstate the results.
Comments
AHPRA said the new guidelines raise the bar for all health practitioners.
Medical Board of Australia Chair Dr Susan O’Dwyer said: “These guidelines make sure we’re all working from similar playbooks for the safety of our patients.”
AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner also warned that in an industry “that relies heavily on having a social media presence… practitioners have been put on notice”.
