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Manx beauty clinic boss highlights Botox ban
SAFETY first: Tracey Bell says there are good reasons for new GMC restrictions on injectable beauty treatments
BEAUTY clinic businesswoman Tracey Bell is warning the public about new restrictions on Botox and other injectable cosmetic medicines.
As from July 23, the General Medical Council banned Botox from being prescribed remotely by email, phone, fax or video link – and the anti-wrinkle injections can now only be administered by a doctor, dentist or nurse practitioner after a face-to-face consultation.
The ban is part of a crackdown aimed at stamping out unlicensed Botox cowboys and preventing prescriptions being acquired in one person’s name for use on someone else.
In another move, the General Dental Council has taking action against unregulated salons carrying out teeth whitening - only dentists, dental hygienists and therapists working on a dentist’s prescription have the authority to do this treatment.
Tracey Bell said she has received a number of inquiries from the public concerned at what the changes entail.
Some 30 patients a week at her Douglas clinic receive Botox treatment, which costs from £200.
As a registered dentist she is allowed to administer Botox injections. But she says everyone thinking of having the treatment should check with their provider first to ensure they are complying with the new restrictions.
Tracey said: ‘We like to do things right and we have to ensure patients’ safety is paramount. I would not want to go to a clinic where you don’t know where the Botox has come from. We’ve had to change the way we practise and so should every clinic in the island.’
By ensuring every patient has a face-to-face consultation, all doctors. dentists or nurse practitioners will fully understand the patient’s medical history and their reasons for wanting the treatment.
A recent BBC undercover investigation in the UK that discovered a doctor as encouraging nurses to ignore GMC rules about remotely prescribing drugs. He was secretly recorded telling nurses to obtain Botox in other people’s names for use on walk-in patients. Harley Street-based Dr Mark Harrison, who was subsequently suspended for up to 18 months pending a review, claimed this was a ‘common almost universal practice throughout the aesthetics industry’ and had ‘no consequence for patient safety’.
In a statement the Department of Health said: ‘The department does not fund any cosmetic procedures and has a policy to this effect - so any such cosmetic procedure is a private arrangement between an individual and the practitioner and department does not have a remit in this area.
‘All doctors and dentists working in Isle of Man have to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC) respectively and are obliged to follow the guidance issued by the GMC/GDC who are their registering body.
‘Any breach of guidance would attract serious sanctions from the GMC/GDC including loss of registration and licence to practise.’
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Weather for Isle of Man
Saturday 25 May 2013
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