England bans remote prescriptions of cosmetic injections for increased safety
England has banned remote prescriptions for non-surgical cosmetics, such as fillers and Botox, starting June 1. After that, prescriptions must be given face-to-face to ensure safe and effective prescribing practices.
The UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is one of the organizations driving the cause, is presenting science-backed data demonstrating why such a ban is in the best interest of public safety.
Prescriptions for non-surgical cosmetic procedures can currently be given online without the customer needing to consult a medical practitioner, raising regulatory and safety concerns.
The NMC says that although midwives are trusted to handle safe prescriptions, inconsistent regulation of non-surgical practices presents risks to consumers. Those continuing to operate with remote prescriptions after the ban risk being removed from the register and losing their ability to practice.
“Following our research and engagement, we are confident that our updated position on the remote prescribing of non-surgical cosmetic medicines is in the best interests of public safety and protection,” says Anne Trotter, NCM assistant director of education and standards.
“Nursing and midwifery prescribers provide competent and effective care to people daily. Face-to-face consultations will further improve their ability to assess people holistically and ensure that non-surgical cosmetic medicines are prescribed safely and appropriately.”
She adds that the NMC will continue to engage with stakeholders, professionals, employers, and the public as this new requirement becomes effective.
Overall, the ban was supported as it increased safety for those undergoing the procedure. Decision backed by research
The NMC researched how people perceive remote prescriptions and how any changes will affect them. In cooperation with research agency Thinks, data was collected from consumers who had undergone non-surgical cosmetic procedures and those who had not.
In the roundtable event, NMC invited regulated health and care professionals who prescribe the treatment and those who do not, beauticians and other unregulated practitioners who administer the treatments, and cosmetic business owners.
Overall, the ban was supported as it would “better protect the public” and increase safety for those undergoing the injections.
Found overly accessible
Among the group who underwent non-surgical cosmetic procedures, they found consumers were not always aware of where the medicine came from when a non-medical administrator injected it.
Additionally, people found the procedures to take place in an unregulated environment where the administrators’ training level was questionable, and the treatments to be “overly accessible.”
However, some business owners said video consultations should not be banned and that face-to-face consultations are outdated.
The NMC says updating its position will maintain confidence and trust in the professionals while protecting the public.
“We encourage those businesses to think about how they may need to adapt their operations when employing nurse and midwife prescribers. We have heard how they can adopt the approaches used for other regulated professionals for nurse and midwife prescribers,” says the council.
UK’s under 18
Botox injections were legal for people under 18 years old in England until October 2021.
Botox injections were legal for people under 18 in England until October 2021. The UK Department of Health estimated that 41,000 botox procedures were performed on this age group in 2020, and over 29,300 dermal filler procedures between 2017 and 2021.
Saveface, a UK government-approved register, says that while England implemented the ban, minors could still travel to the neighboring countries, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, for treatment. Wales and Scotland have not yet followed England’s age limit for cosmetic procedures.
“Updates on legislation in Wales and Scotland are expected shortly, while Northern Ireland has no plans to make any changes,” Saveface reported.
In May 2022, the UK banned advertisements for cosmetic surgery clinics targeting teenagers.
