It seems very much as though the aesthetics industry is facing its biggest challenge at the moment, and it’s hard to see what the outcome will be. There has long been a debate about medics versus non-medics when it comes to aesthetic treatments, but this is now coming to a head. Whilst the industry has already faced government consultations and potential overhauls, it seems more likely that the changes will be slipped in through the back door. I thought it was time to have a look at what is happening and what it means for those in the industry.
The rules regarding prescription only medicine (POM)
The conversation we are having at the moment seems to mainly centre around the issue of Botox, which is a prescription only medicine. It is a toxin and in the wrong hands does have the potential to be harmful, so it is essential that it is regulated and overseen properly. This has meant that any therapists offering anti-wrinkle treatments like Botox need to recruit the services of a prescriber, which is a medical professional like a doctor, dentist or nurse prescriber.
When this legislation was first brought in, the idea was that the client needed face-to-face consultation with the prescriber before the Botox could be issued. However, over the last few years this has slackened off a little bit and the arrival of COVID probably helped to make this something that was often done during video consultations instead. Whilst the majority of aesthetics professionals that I work with maintain the highest standards, there is no doubt that there are some who aim to cut corners and will have found any possible way to avoid this process or make it as quick and easy as possible. It might help the person at ministering the Botox to cram more appointments in and make more money, but it’s questionable as to whether this is safe for the client.
The government consultation
Many medics have been unhappy with the aesthetics industry because they believe it is made-up of cowboys who are putting the health of clients at risk. Of course, no industry is safe from those who want to do everything as cheap as possible and lower the standards, but in most cases the non-medics who work in the aesthetics industry, have gone through a lot of training and are extremely professional. However, pressure from the medical profession meant that a government consultation was launched to look into aesthetics treatments and what restrictions should be placed on non-medics in the industry.
The general election put the brakes on this, and there has been very little mention of it since the Labour government took control. Without the potential for formal legislation coming into place, it now seems that the medical profession are taking matters into their own hands.
Face-to-face prescriptions
The NMC has now announced that from 1st June, all prescription consultations must be carried out face-to-face. This had already started to throw the aesthetics industry into turmoil as they tried to work out the best ways to make this achievable both for their own businesses and the convenience of their clients. However, there are now more changes starting to take place that are causing huge amounts of concern.
It now appears that the British Association of Medical Aesthetic Nurses (BAMAN) have issued instructions that their prescribers should not prescribe to non-medics. There are also reports of insurance companies clamping down on the same thing. Without laws coming into place the medical industry seems to be starting to close ranks and shut the non-medics out in their own way. By tightening their own restrictions, they will soon make it impossible for many non-medical aesthetics practitioners to be able to function.
How widespread this will become remains to be seen, but it is likely that where one organisation leads, others will follow.
So, what happens next?
What the future holds for non-medics in the aesthetics industry seems extremely uncertain at this point. Whilst the government consultation was unpopular when it was first discussed, it seems like this might now be part of a better solution. The original consultation wanted extra supervision for treatments but did not try to shut out the non-medics entirely. It didn’t seem like the perfect solution, but if the consultation is looked at again it can start to put a new emphasis on the training that non-medics require to be able to work in the industry.
If it is possible to put together a standard of training for non-medics that medics will be happy with when it comes to prescriptions, this might be a workable solution. I’m sure many aesthetics practitioners are groaning at the thought of undergoing yet more qualifications when many of them are already extremely highly trained, but it is important that there is a level playing field and that everyone has the same level of qualification. This can get rid of many of the arguments about the standard of professionalism in the industry and should hopefully shut out some of those who are not working at these standards.
The reality is that there are people working within the aesthetics industry who have had little to no training, buy their products on the black market and find ways to get around the legislation that is already in place. They give the industry a bad name and the medics have used this as a stick to beat the others with. However, the truth is that every industry will have its cowboys, but this shouldn’t be reflective of the many dedicated, highly trained, wonderful practitioners that are operating to incredibly high standards.
If the medical profession is genuinely concerned about the safety of the clients visiting non-medics for aesthetics treatments, then they need to think about whether their current approach is really the best one. Instead of wiping out unqualified non-medics, they will simply force them underground, meaning they will be operating with no oversight and buying products off the black market, which will make them even more dangerous than they already are. Instead of forcing non-medics out of the industry, work with them instead and create an industry that is healthy and provides clients with the services that they want in a safe and effective way.
