1/21/2020 0 Comments What do the regulations on botulinum toxin injections set by the Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) mean for Aesthetics Practitioners?
This means that a face to face consultation is required with the client and a prescribing doctor, dentist or nurse to create a prescription for treatment either by that same practitioner or with another practitioner. So what are the implications of this when it comes to advertising? As botulinum toxin injections are POM's this means that their use is prescribed specifically to an individual patient after a full medical consultation has determined that it's application is appropriate and indicated for use. Therefore advertising their use really suggests that they are not infact prescriptive and are available to anyone. Think about as a dentist advertising amoxicillin use - this would suggest that any patient could walk in requesting a course of the antibiotic rather than the dentist assessing them first, making a diagnosis, taking a medical history and prescribing it appropriately. From my initial training in botulinum toxin I was aware that using the word Botox or other brand like Bocoture or Azzalure was a big no no. Guidelines state that "any direct reference to products including Botox (or other brands) shouldn't appear on traditional non broadcast media". My training provider educated me on this and when teaching delegates on the Acquisition Aesthetics training courses we are very clear on the rules regarding this. At Paragon Aesthetics, we avoided using the word 'botox' on the website, price lists, business cards and on social media. Instead, we would refer to treatment as anti-wrinkle injections. After speaking with colleagues and reading the ASA guidelines, at Paragon Aesthetics we sharpened up our approach to botulinum toxin marketing on social and digital media in March 2018. To be perfectly clear, I am not an expert on the topic, and by following these changes does not ensure complete compliance, but this is now we have interpreted the guidelines.
advertise it? Personally, across all our clinics when we made the changes, we saw no reduction in the number of enquiries from new and existing clients about botulinum toxin injections. If anything, their popularity increased. Are we doing things completely right? We hope so.
As a patient, have you been deterred by seeing less information about anti-wrinkle injections on digital media? As a practitioner, would you make any other changes? Comment below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Dr. Elle Claire ReidClinical director of Paragon aesthetics, Dentist and medical aesthetics trainer Archives
September 2020
Categories |