Changes to AHPRA for Cosmetic Procedures from July 1 2023
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has introduced new guidelines for dentistry regarding cosmetic procedures and muscle relaxant injectables, reflecting a broader overhaul of the non-surgical cosmetic procedures sector in Australia. These guidelines aim to enhance patient safety, ensure practitioners provide accurate and transparent information about the risks and benefits of cosmetic procedures, and improve the standards for advertising these services.
Key points from the new guidelines include:
- Strengthening the regulation around non-surgical cosmetic procedures**, including those performed in the field of dentistry, such as tooth veneers and muscle relaxant injectables. These are popular dental procedures for cosmetic purposes and include treatments like anti-wrinkle injections, fillers, and botulinum toxin products.
- Emphasis on informed consent and pre-procedure consultations**, including assessing a patient's suitability for the procedure. Practitioners are required to ensure patients understand the risks, have realistic expectations, and give informed financial consent before undergoing any cosmetic procedure.
- The guidelines also detail **stronger rules for advertising** cosmetic procedures, focusing on the use of influencers and social media, the portrayal of before and after images, and claims about practitioners' experience and qualifications. The use of testimonials in advertising is explicitly banned.
- For medical practitioners performing cosmetic surgery, there is a requirement for a referral from a general practitioner or specialist, ensuring the patient's motivations and expectations are thoroughly assessed. This does not apply to non-surgical procedures like injectables, but there is still an emphasis on understanding the patient's reasons for seeking the procedure and managing their expectations.
- The guidelines encourage multiple pre-operative consultations for cosmetic surgery, with a mandatory cooling-off period before the procedure can be booked, to ensure patients make informed decisions.
- There are specific provisions for procedures involving patients under 18 years old, including a requirement for a psychological evaluation before cosmetic surgery and a prohibition on prescribing botulinum toxin and dermal fillers to them.
These reforms are a part of AHPRA's ongoing efforts to protect patients and ensure high standards across the cosmetic procedure industry. Practitioners, including dentists, nurses, and other health professionals, are advised to familiarise themselves with these guidelines to comply with the updated regulatory framework and to ensure they provide safe and ethical care to their patients.
Sources:
- AHPRA's announcement on the consultation for new guidelines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including dental [oai_citation:1,
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Consultation begins on new guidelines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including dental
](https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/2023-11-27-Consultation-on-new-guidelines-or-non-surgical-cosmetic-procedures.aspx).
