NMC seeks views on remote prescribing of non-surgical cosmetic medicines

The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) is seeking views on remote prescribing of non-surgical cosmetic medicines, saying it wants to understand nurses and other nursing professional’s views on remote prescribing practices.

Writing on its website, the NMC said:

“We’re reviewing our current position on the remote prescribing of injectable cosmetic products. This includes certain anti-wrinkle and weight loss injections, and aesthetic emergency kit items.

“We want to strengthen our guidance around this as part of our regulatory role and commitment to protect the public. This will also help us to better align our position with other healthcare regulators who require professionals to carry out face-to-face consultations before prescribing non-surgical cosmetic medicines.”

Explaining why it is seeking views, the NMC explained:

“Many professionals in the field of cosmetics provide safe and effective care to people every day. However, there is inconsistent regulation around non-surgical cosmetic practice.

“There are particular concerns around the remote prescribing of prescription-only medicines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Unlike many other areas of prescribing, this can be done without adequate access to medical records or any direct contact between the prescriber and the person in their care. This limits the prescriber’s ability to assess people holistically when deciding whether it’s safe and appropriate to prescribe certain medicines.”

Anne Trotter, NMC Assistant Director of Education and Standards, said:

“Nurses and midwives are integral to the safe and effective delivery of person-centred care, including the prescribing and administration of medicines. They are entrusted to provide high-quality care that is evidence-based and in line with our Code and standards – but we know concerns remain about the remote prescribing of non-surgical cosmetic medicines.

“We’re clear that remote prescribing is unlikely to be suitable for injectable cosmetics. However, we want to strengthen our position on what safe and effective prescribing practices look like, so that we can deliver on our primary purpose of protecting the public.

“We look forward to hearing from the public, employers, professionals and our stakeholders, and we’ll provide more information over the coming weeks about how people can engage with us.”

Disclaimer: The accuracy and information of news stories published on this website is accurate on the date of publishing. We endeavour to update stories if information change. You can contact us with change and update requests. Where possible, we will link to sources. Content on this website is for guidance purposes only. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.