Published: Friday, 15th September 2023
The Environmental Health service at Cannock Chase Council has welcomed proposals from the government to bring forward a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that consumers who choose to undergo a non-surgical cosmetic procedure can be confident that the treatment they receive is safe and of a high standard. Under the proposed scheme, practitioners will need to be licensed to perform specific procedures and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed.
To respond to the consultation, which ends of 28 October, please follow the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/licensing-of-non-surgical-cosmetic-procedures
The Council is urging customers to be on their guard when undergoing cosmetic treatments in non-medical settings.
When choosing a practitioner for a cosmetic treatment such as Botox, or fillers for example, it is important to be assured that the operator is reputable and has sufficient training and after care procedures.
Some invasive services offered such as micropigmentation and microblading require a licence to be obtained from the Council.
There have been several areas of concern that have been highlighted over the past few months.
Recent intelligence has indicated that practitioners could be obtaining prescriptions in their own name and then using these to treat customers without any proper medical assessment for suitability and informed consent.
As with all prescription medicines, this is a breach of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and is a matter for enforcement by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).
The action, known as self-prescribing, is illegal and can have serious consequences for the customer, including anaphylactic reactions, infection and injury to nerves and blood vessels.
It can also have implications for treatment in healthcare settings where professionals have insufficient information about a treatment that customers may have received elsewhere. This can lead to missed diagnoses or inadvertent over-prescribing of medicines.
Anyone found to be carrying out self-prescribing, for vitamin B12, hay fever injections or any other prescription medicine, will be referred to the MHRA for investigation.
Environmental Health Officers advise that a face-to-face consultation should always take place with a prescriber of the product when used in a non-medical setting. Practitioners should go through a customer’s medical history and suitability for the treatment.
Customers are being urged to use the following checklist when meeting with a practitioner:
• Check the name of the product and whether it is licensed, and how and where it is made - products such as Hydroxocobalamin (a Vitamin B12 substitute) or Kenalog are authorised for use in the UK but MUST be prescribed by your doctor. Kenalog is NOT licensed in the UK for treatment of hayfever;
• Check the practitioner’s qualifications, experience and whether they are trained to deliver aesthetics, such as injectables;
• Check what insurance cover the practitioner has such as General Liability Insurance;
• Check that the product is unopened before use and that it has a pharmacy dispensing label attached with the address of the pharmacy and YOUR NAME on the label;
• Don’t accept treatment on the day of the consultation. A prescription must be written and dispensed by a pharmacist, which takes time; and
• Remember that if you have any doubts, you have the right to change your mind and withdraw from undergoing the treatment.
Councillor Andrea Muckley, Portfolio Leader for Environment and Climate Change said: “I am delighted that the government is proposing a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures and would encourage residents to respond to the consultation. If our residents are using these services, we want them to be safe.
“We have information to suggest potentially dangerous, self-prescribed injectable treatments are being offered in the district. These self-prescribed treatments are illegal and putting people at risk. We would urge anyone with any information or concerns, or indeed any practitioners who want additional support, to contact our Environmental Health service without delay. They are experts in their field and will be happy to help.”
Any member of the public with any information or concerns, or any practitioners who want additional support, can contact Cannock Chase Council’s licensing and health and safety teams on 01543 462621 or email: environmentalhealth@cannockchasedc.gov.uk