Following the program aired by the BBC last night regarding remote prescribing of Botox, this is the document issued today by the BACN in response to this issue, on behalf of Cosmetic Nurses:-
British Association of Cosmetic Nurses Response to the BBC news item on 9/07/12 relating to remote prescribing in aesthetics, and in particular, botulinum toxin (Botox) – Press Release – for immediate release 10th July 2012
“The British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) has been representing nurses in aesthetic practice for the last four years. The role of the BACN is to inform, advise and educate our members, and require them to practise within the law and to the highest professional standards. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) role is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public and ensure the highest standards of practice, all nurses working in the United Kingdom should be registered with the NMC.
Aesthetic practice is unusual in that the majority of multi-disciplinary training in aesthetics is carried out by highly specialised, experienced autonomous nurse educators.
Working closely with the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing the aesthetic nursing community continues to drive education and practice standards through educational conferences, workshops, seminars and peer reviewed academic articles, driving collaboration with allied health care professionals.
The BACN has been concerned for some time that some doctors offer reassurance to nurses that remote prescribing is accepted practice and meets NMC standards, this is not the case, as in NMC New Advice for Botox – Nurses and Midwives, published on 1st April 2011 and the NMC Standards for Medicines Management published on 9th October 2007. We welcome the fact that the practice has been highlighted and we look forward to clarity from the General Medical Council (GMC).
Nurses who have undertaken the Nurse Independent Prescribing (NIP) Course and satisfied the examiners at the NMC, and maintain both their general nursing qualification and NIP qualifications are legally able to prescribe and administer botulinum toxins and all other prescribable items within their area of competence, and have equal prescribing rights to all UK doctors. The NIP qualification has a pass mark of eighty percent for pharmacology and one hundred percent for mathematics.
Non-prescribing qualified nurses working in partnership with doctors or nurse prescribers are also working within the correct legal framework, when their patients are consulted by the prescriber who then delegates an order to administer to the nurse. This consultation process involves a physical face to face full consultation and examination by the prescriber.“
