Good Prescribing Practice For Cosmetic Procedures

When prescribed and used effectively, the use of Prescription Only Medicines (POMs) within the aesthetics sector has proven the potential to significantly improve the quality of life and improve patient/consumer outcomes.

However, the challenges associated with responsible and effective prescribing should not be underestimated.

Improvements to existing prescribing practices will not only support the Practitioners in using POMs effectively, but it will also improve patient safety and reduce the risk of unwarranted harm to patients.

Principles of Good Prescribing

• Prescribe within the scope of your knowledge, skills, and experience, and continually update these skills.
• Be clear about the reasons for prescribing and consider the Patients’ expectations, ideas, and concerns.
• Obtain an accurate medical history of the Patient before prescribing.
• When prescribing unlicensed medications, or ‘off label’ medications, be satisfied that there is no licensed version suitable to meet the needs of that Patient.
• Include all the Patient Specific Directions (PSD) on submitted prescriptions.
• With regards to weight loss medication, include the Patients’ current BMI and consider informing the Patients NHS Prescriber of the supply.
• Remote consultations and prescribing of injectable POMs and medical devices when used for non-surgical cosmetics procedures is not allowed. It must be in person. This includes toxins, injectable anesthetics, dermal fillers, hyaluronidase, tissue stimulants, vitamin infusions and injections and agents used for lipolysis.
• Include all Patients’ details on the prescription including contact phone numbers.
• If working in partnership with a Practitioner, ensure their insurance and training is up to date and covers all procedures that you are prescribing for.

Please click this link for more information from the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) https://www.jccp.org.uk/uploads/PrescribingStatementRevisedFinal_ARcomments.pdf

These simple yet effective points keep safety and Patient wellbeing at the heart of your process. Working collaboratively with your Dispensing Pharmacy and Practitioners cuts down time, improves accuracy, and allows you to have confidence in all your processes when prescribing.

We hope you found this short article beneficial. If we at Teleta can be of any assistance, please let us know.

Kind regards,
Susan Strain
Superintendent Pharmacist
Teleta Pharmacy