Rules around “prescription only medicine” are being evoked due to blatant misuse on social media of the advertising of botulinum toxin to the general public.
It is an interesting move, and one we support at Somerset Cosmetic Clinic.
The bottom line is that as a prescription drug it should only ever be prescribed by a qualified medic following on from a patient consultation – and this is not happening in every clinic as it should.
We have been raising awareness for some time now about the misuse of this potent drug by non-qualified practitioners. The side effects can be stunningly awful in the wrong hands.
A recent enforcement notice from the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has focused on social media because this is where they have seen the most recent breaches of this rule.
To try and assist the ASA in enforcing this ban on advertising this prescription only drug, we have changed the terminology we use to reflect the much wider treatments that we offer, and include all our treatments under the new term “anti-wrinkle treatments”.
Dr Ed is a fully qualified GP with specialist aesthetic qualifications in administering a variety of treatments and as such, is able to prescribe, should he think, after a medical consultation, whichever treatment he deems, in his professional capacity, is most suitable to the patients’ needs. The law states, and we firmly agree, that “the appropriate management for a condition in an individual patient is for the prescriber and patient to jointly consider and this may include a number of medical factors as well as a range of therapeutic options.”
By taking a proactive stance on this law, we hope that blatant advertising on social media of Botox as a beauty treatment, by unqualified therapists, reduces. We have, and still have, posts on our website that talk about Botox and its medical uses, but in every case we invite people to book a medical consultation where all options are considered at that point. We are proud of the fact that we are in full compliance with the regulations and continue to support the fight against non medical beauticians administering this prescription only drug.
There would never be an instance where someone could walk in from the street and ask for Botox, but sadly that is what is happening on some high streets.
And let’s not even mention Botox parties!