Regulation Updates

Regulation Updates

 

Aesthetics is well known for being a largely unregulated industry, with TV shows and news articles describing it as a ‘Wild West’ out there.

We know that many medical professionals are having to fix unqualified practitioners’ mistakes, while patients are undergoing unsafe procedures with untrustworthy products in non-clinical environments.

So, what is being done about it?!

While progress has been slow, there has been some movement in recent months.

In February, the UK Government responded to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s report on The Impact of Body Image on Mental and Physical Health.

This report looked at a variety of sources that are believed to contribute to poor body image and health, acknowledging that many people turn to aesthetic procedures to help ‘fix’ their concerns.

It highlighted that more needs to be done to keep these people safe when they undergo treatment, providing several recommendations for the Government to consider. Amongst them, the report took guidance from the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and Save Face, and suggested that there needs to be:

 

• The implementation of a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures by July 2023
• Specific standards for all beauty salons and non-CQC registered premises to comply with, overseen by Local Authority Enforcement Officers
• Minimum standards of education and training to be met by practitioners, with training providers meeting an Ofqual-regulated standard overseen by the Professional Standards Authority
• Dermal fillers to be made prescription-only substances
• The requirement to display a kitemark and warning logo on any advertisement for treatments that fall within the new licensing scheme’s scope

 

In response, the Government has said that it is, “Committed to supporting consumers to make safe and informed choices about any cosmetic procedure they may choose to undergo.”

The Government also confirmed that it will:

 

• Be taking forward work to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, however this will not be ready by July 2023.
• Consider whether specific premises standards are needed and what they should include.
• Work with the JCCP and other relevant bodies on nationally recognised standards covering the education, training and qualifications of practitioners – it highlighted that the JCCP’s work in developing a competency framework was good.
• Not make dermal fillers prescription only as, “Unlike Botox, dermal fillers cannot be covered by the existing prescription-only medicine framework because they are medical devices rather than medicinal products.”
• Not make kitemarks a requirement, but will strengthen medical device regulation, including extending CE mark recognition as part of transitioning to a future regime, and the scope of regulations to capture certain non-medical products with similar risk profiles to medical devices – this includes dermal fillers.

 

The JCCP said it will be reinforcing its concerns on the necessity for kitemarks and the safety of dermal fillers, emphasising, “We will continue to work with a range of pharma companies, pharmacies and the MHRA to consider alternative safeguards in both the supply chain and in terms of who should be entitled to administer such invasive procedures.”

Overall, it’s great to see that the UK Government is listening to concerns surrounding aesthetic safety and is finally starting to take action to improve things.

Here at Teleta, we pride ourselves on being MHRA accredited, WDA certified and GDP compliant. The safety of the end user of the products we distribute – your patients – always comes first.