IMPORTANT TGA UPDATE

On 7 March, 2024, that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) changed the advertising guidelines around cosmetic medicine in Australia.

Previously, the TGA gave cosmetic injectors indirect terms (“anti-wrinkle injections” and “dermal fillers”) we could use to refer to the prescription-only medications that are used in non-surgical cosmetic medicine, as direct references such as brand names and ingredient names of prescription-only medication are not permitted and are against the law. The TGA have made the decision to no longer permit these indirect terms – “anti-wrinkle injections” and “dermal fillers”. The TGA state that advertisement of the use and supply of a prescription-only medication have never been compliant with the therapeutic goods framework. This means we can no longer advertise price lists, before and after photos, testimonials about the products, claims about the medications, and give any public information about prescription-only medications.

As a result of these changes, patients can no longer self-select what prescription-only medications they wish to have in booking systems. The TGA state that the decision for a patient to be prescribed a medication is at the discretion of the practitioner. This means the names of the bookings on the booking system have had to change to a “general” consultation for wrinkle reduction, or volume loss.

The TGA also consider business names to be an advertisement and the use of “injections” in a business name is non-compliant. Therefore, I have had to change my business name to “MD Cosmetic Nurse”. The TGA stated the reason for these changes are the below: “The update aligns with the focus of other regulators on health professionals performing non-surgical cosmetic procedures and acknowledges the increasing vulnerability of Australians influenced by advertising in the cosmetic space. Prescription only medications carry higher risks than goods available for self-selection. Decisions about treatments that involve the use of prescription medicines should only be made by a health professional in consultation with each individual patient”.

Although I have had to make all of these changes – removal of all information about treatments, before and after photos, and price lists on my website and social media platforms, please be assured I am still performing consultations for the same treatments she has provided for over the past 10.5 years. Now, any information about treatments, pricing and showcasing of before and after photos can only, legally, be given to you during a consultation with myself. Please understand that reception staff cannot give out any information, so please do not get frustrated at them, as they are simply abiding by the law and doing their job. If you have any confusion with bookings, due to the new legal requirements, please contact me and I will help guide you, but please understand no information can be given outside of a consultation. I appreciate your understanding whilst we all adapt to the new changes.