Doctors to be prevented from prescribing Botulinum Toxin remotely

In a secret recording by the BBC at a Harley Street skin clinic, the clinic’s director was filmed describing how prescriptions for Botulinum Toxin could be obtained in the names of friends and family. The drug would then be stored, ready to be used by nurses to treat walk-in patients without needing to obtain a prescription first.

The nurses would instead telephone the doctor for a remote prescription before injecting patients with the ‘stored’ Botox.

If, for any reason, the doctor could not be reached before treatment, the nurses would administer the Botox injections anyway – with the doctor phoning patients afterwards.

Though remote prescription is not illegal at present, administering Botox without a prescription is against the law. It also raises concerns about patient safety.

In the light of the investigation, the General Medical Council (GMC) has said that new rules will soon be published, making it illegal for doctors to remotely prescribe injectable cosmetic medicines, including Botox.

Nurses who do not hold the V300 prescribing qualification will be required to work directly with a doctor or dentist in order to issue prescriptions.

If you would like any information on our Botox training courses, or any of our other fully accredited courses, contact us on 0845 230 4110 or email [email protected].

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Ceart in Administration: Medical Aesthetic Insurance Options

Ceart in Administration? Please Advise

As you may be aware by now, the specialist healthcare insurance broker Ceart Risk Services has gone into administration.

If you do have a policy with Ceart, it is best to try to contact them to find out your options as, technically, you should be OK if already covered.

Hamilton Fraser Insurance help worried Medical Aesthetic delegates

According to reports, however, they are not responding to many enquiries via telephone or email. For many confused and anxious medical aesthetic delegates, alternative cosmetic insurers Hamilton Fraser Cosmetic Insurance have stepped in to offer advice and support; even for those who are not currently insured with them.

Hamilton Fraser ran a live Questions and Answers session on their Facebook page this Tuesday 7th February to deal with the unusually high level of enquiries and concerns. Many of the answers can now be seen posted on their page.

Cosmetic Insurance at Cosmetic Courses

At Cosmetic Courses medical aesthetic training, we have always chosen Hamilton Fraser as our principal insurance company, displaying the logo on our homepage and recommending them to our delegates when they ask us who to turn to for their own business insurance.

We are very proud to be one of only 4 recognised Hamilton Fraser Partner Courses (you can identify these by the gold ‘training course partner’ badges as featured on our site which differs from the standard Hamilton Fraser recognised training course icons).

What does this mean?

  • Well, the biggest bonus for you is that all our delegates receive 10% discount during their 1st year of insurance with Hamilton Fraser…something that only these special Training Course Partners can offer!
  • You can also find us right at the top of the recommended course listings on the Hamilton Fraser website (for London, Buckinghamshire and Northampton)
  • And read regular articles about us in the Cosmetic Insurance News Letter
  • Like all Hamilton Fraser recognised training courses, Cosmetic Courses’ membership means that our delegates receive Risk Management support and information leaflets, presentations and advice.

It is this kind of unconditional support which we know medical aesthetic delegates are really valuing at the moment, with uncertainty over Ceart and increased scrutiny of the industry in general. It’s good to know that there is an insurance company we can rely on, who recognizes Cosmetic Courses’ high standards too!

For any further questions about your cosmetic insurance or medical aesthetic training in general, please do not hesitate to call us on 0845 230 4110.

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Cosmetic Courses & Competency Certification

As the medical aesthetic industry comes under scrutiny, Cosmetic Courses supports calls for higher competency levels.

Botox and Dermal Filler Providers Under Fire

Not only the Surgical sector of the cosmetic treatment industry has come under scrutiny recently following the PIP breast implants fiasco. The Non-Surgical cosmetic injectables market is now also being heavily criticized for lack of regulation and the ease with which products / procedures can launch or professionals can become qualified.

The UK has been described as “an open goal when it comes to cosmetic injections”, with companies starting up and disappearing at the first sign of trouble and a “terrible…lack of training” (Dr. Mike Comins, president of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors).

Dr. Comins has particularly stressed the importance of competence and for “only medical doctors, their assistants or supervised nurses [to] be allowed to carry out injections of Botox and fillers”.

Cosmetic Courses support Competency & Training for Medical Professionals

These are views which leading UK medical aesthetic training provider, Cosmetic Courses, has long upheld. Even before the PIP scandal hit the media, we were championing rigorous standards within cosmetic injectables training and had a strict policy of only accepting currently qualified medical professionals onto our courses.

Test the Water: then Commit to Competency

We understand that branching into a career in medical aesthetics can be a big commitment, so we do believe that delegates should be given opportunity for ‘taster’ training sessions where they do not have to invest so much money or long-term career aspirations up-front: some people do literally start aesthetic injecting and decide then and there it’s not for them.

Bespoke 1-1 for Competency Certification
But, if a delegate does then decide that they want to pursue a career in cosmetic injectables, we strongly encourage all training with Cosmetic Courses to continue to Bespoke 1-1 level which is the stage where you can be certified in competency. This is in line with the recommendation by the BACD and Mike Comins.

Training DOESN’T end with Competency
Furthermore, Cosmetic Courses always say that your training is a journey. Even having received Competency Certification, many delegates do decide to continue to Advanced Level and we positively encourage this. As Dr. Comins continues: BACD members ‘also have to attend a certain number of conferences and training sessions to maintain their membership’. Our own Cosmetic Courses trainers frequently do this, attending regular events, training sessions and conferences to keep up-to-date with all the latest products and techniques.

Keeping up-to-date is vital in this fast paced industry. This is why Cosmetic Courses believe that Competency Certification and Refresher Training go hand-in-hand. Although many delegates may have already been competency certified, this may have been years ago any they might not have done anything with it ever since. In that time, techniques and products will have moved on. The best practitioners keep up to date with regular training and activity: and Cosmetic Courses encourage all our delegates to be the best.

Our Commitment to You
As Cosmetic Courses’ manager recognized, we do not only expect our delegates to be the best they can be but we also expect the same from ourselves. As part of this ‘we are offering more courses and expanding our packages on an ongoing basis to ensure not just that you keep up but that we keep up’.

Cosmetic Courses also offer a support program so that all delegates are never essentially ‘alone’ after graduating from Cosmetic Courses. Despite being certified competent, if you ever need support or advice after having trained with Cosmetic Courses there is ongoing mentor support via telephone or email.

In all these ways we hope to be able to help do our part to regulate the standards within the industry.

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All I want for Christmas is…Botox?

Christmas Botox is First on the Wishlist for 2011

According to the ABC, Botox is one of the cosmetic procedures right at the top of many women’s wishlists this Christmas. It certainly makes a change from underwear that doesn’t quite fit and endless cookery books. So whats the craze with Christmas Botox?

For those of us in the medical aesthetics industry, this is good news. It means that at that time of year when women draw up their fantasy list of “must have” items, your trade commodity is right up there with coveted perfumes and indulgent chocolates.

Why Do So Many Women Want Botox?

But what is the psychology behind the Botox boom?

One recurring theory is that the gloomy economic climate is causing a growing taste for wrinkle-reducing treatments. It may sound odd at first that, as the purse strings tighten, splashing out on beauty procedures becomes a must. But the logic is actually sound: more financial stress causes more wrinkles and signs of aging and a stronger need to do something about this. Perhaps also, with all the gloom and doom in the rest of the world, ladies are feeling they owe it to themselves to at least take care of the one thing they have complete control over: their appearance.

Whilst other areas of cosmetic surgery have had to up the marketing to drive in customers throughout the recession, the non-surgical industry is booming. This looks set to continue in 2012.

So, whether you are an excited lady waiting by the Christmas Tree tomorrow to see if your wrinkle-reducing treatment voucher is waiting in that shiny envelope; or a highly skilled medical professional thinking about diverting your career into medical aesthetics with a Botox training course next year: have a fantastic Christmas and an even better 2012!

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New GDC Rules about Dentists, Botox and Remote Prescribing

Falling inline with the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the GDC have now issued guidelines against remote prescribing of Botox by dentists.

In fact, the statement issued in October forebade remote prescribing for the provision of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in any form. The prescription or administration of Botox or injectable cosmetic medicinal products falls under this category.

Until this stage, whilst reputable organisations and training centres like Cosmetic Courses would have generally advised against dentists becoming involved in such practices, there was grey area as to whether their counselling body specifically ruled against remote prescribing or not.

As such, concerns had arisen that some registrants may be using remote prescribing inappropriately. There have also been reports of networks of dental clinics which have started offering aesthetic treatments (Botox and dermal fillers etc.) with aesthetic nurses obtaining their product under the remote prescription of particular dentists: this will now have to be re-evaluated as all patients being treated with the product require consultation with the actual practitioner providing the prescription.

If you need advice about remote prescribing, your eligibility to obtain product after training or about Botox training in general, Cosmetic Courses will be delighted to help. We have a number of Botox training courses for dentists and can advise about how the GDC announcement may effect you and your clinic. Simply call 0845 230 4110.

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Botox Sales & Botox Training Courses in UK Economic Crisis – The Outlook is Good!

Positive Prospects for those looking to Botox Training

Article by Sarah Brechon (Cosmetic Courses)

As the Financial Times announce a rapid increase in Botox sales in Europe,  Botox training courses at Cosmetic Courses have also risen throughout the year. These encouraging statistics (illustrated by the graph on the left) show that, despite the continuing economic crisis, all is not doom and gloom in the world of aesthetic medicine.

This is very positive news for medical professionals considering botox training as an option for their futures.

But surely the findings are also surprising: why would people be turning to aesthetic treatments at a time when many are having to make cuts on their weekly food shop and worrying about fuel or home expenses?  In a statement to the Financial Times, chief executive David Pyott of Botox manufacturer Allergan revealed that beauty is so deeply embedded into the culture of today’s Europeans that many would prefer to make sacrifices in other areas (even those many would consider everyday necessities) than give up their Botox habit.

Whatever the reasoning, this is undoubtedly good news for aesthetic medical professionals considering their employment options. At leading UK aesthetic training provider Cosmetic Courses, numbers of delegates booking onto the foundation level Botox training course have been on a steady increase all year. This introductory level Botox training course is the first step for medical professionals looking to begin their medical aesthetic career before going on to the Advanced Level training (Fillers and more complex Botox techniques), tailored 1-1 modules or courses in other aesthetic methods like Dermaroller Therapy or Skin Peels.

Asked why she thinks so many medical professionals have entered medical aesthetic training in 2011, despite the economic crisis, Cosmetic Courses manager Rachael Langford replied:

“They’re worried about the current problems in the NHS. One woman we spoke to yesterday  wants to start her family in 2 or 3 years but her current medical career wouldn’t allow for it. She felt that doing Botox training alongside would give her the option. Similarly, people coming up to retirement want to do Botox training to ease up their normal hours in the NHS. Working ridiculously long hours to rigid schedules can be far more draining than any economic crisis – Botox training can provide the chance of a better quality of life with more time to do what you want around your working hours.”

Registered medical professionals from all over the world can come and train with leading UK Botox training providers Cosmetic Courses. As well as Botox training, Cosmetic Courses provide a wide range of other courses (including Dermal Fillers, Genuine Dermaroller Therapy, Skin Peels, 1-1 Tailored Tuition and more).  You can book your training course online using our secure form and payment system or call 0845 230 4110.

For more information, please visit www.cosmeticcourses.co.uk or email [email protected]

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Botox Training Marketing | What to do after your course

How To Market Your New Medical Aesthetics Business | Botox Training Marketing

After you complete your botox training or dermal filler course, you will naturally be raring to go and get started with setting up your own medical aesthetics business. However, one of the main hurdles to jump over in making a success of your medical aesthetic business is the way in which you market yourself. In this Blog, Cosmetic Courses share some Tips for Botox Training Marketing:

1. Print Advertising

Most new aesthetic practitioners initially start with print advertising (local newspapers, fliers, maybe even cheaper local glossy magazines). Whilst this approach may work for some people, it is quite an outdated method of medical aesthetics marketing and can prove very expensive if not approached smartly and monitored carefully. Traditional print advertising essentially falls into ‘local’ and ‘nationwide’ audiences but the average start-up business will be aiming at the local publications to begin with. Even here, where the advertising costs are cheaper, our advice is that there is always room for negotiation: do not take the advertising cost quoted in the publication or by the sales rep. as gospel – be prepared to haggle, stand your ground and you will find that you can get a real bargain (especially just before print closes). Research your desired client’s demographic very carefully and make sure that the publications you are advertising in really are aimed at them or the response could be poor / made up of timewasters. Always ask the readership of the publication to see how many people it actually goes out to (some which seem like a great offer actually have a tiny readership so your chances of getting much work from them are slim). And check out the legal implications before handing out fliers – at local events, for example, you may need to get permission from your local authority (and are very unlikely to be able to specifically advertise medical aesthetic treatments, so be careful not to violate any trading standards!)

2. Online Advertising

Much more of-the-moment and with (potentially) the ability to reach a far bigger audience at once, online advertising for medical aesthetics has become increasingly popular with aesthetic practitioners. You can set up a free medical aesthetics website relatively easily these days if you are fairly tech-savvy, or for a small price if you need to get help. However: please do be warned that this is just the start of the process. There are hundreds upon hundreds of websites out there advertising medical aesthetic services…the challenge is to get yours indexed and found by anyone searching on the big search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing etc.) This is a process known as SEO and involves clever use of keywords (the most commonly used words related to your industry that potential customers are searching at any given time), regularly creating and updating content (information, photos, blogs, maybe videos and social media usage linked to your site can really help you get increased rank and visibility quicker too). If all this sounds like complete gobbledygook to you then chances are that you may have a bit of learning to do before you embrace this form of marketing, or you might need to employ someone to help. This is, of course, a Catch 22 as you need to be earning before you can start employing! Do not be put off, though – there are abundant sources of helpful information about SEO and optimizing your site for the search engines…particularly good ones are SEOmoz and Mashable. If you just want to advertise without getting too involved with any of that nitty-gritty stuff, online sites like Gumtree provide quick and easy access to large numbers of potential clients and have options ranging from completely free – approximately £49 per week depending upon your region and the level of visibility that you want for your advert.

3. Word of Mouth

It may be horribly boring, but building up a great reputation via word-of-mouth really is a great way to build yourself a client base. The trouble is that it’s a slower approach than most medical aesthetics practitioners like. Start off with friends, family…anybody who would like botox and dermal filler treatments from you. Encourage them to spread the word. Perhaps offer a ‘refer a friend’ scheme where for each entirely new client who refers a friend, they get a small discount off their next treatment. If you have Social Media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn, encourage clients to leave reviews / endorsements. Try to form a link with an established business, perhaps, like a hair salon or existing medical aesthetics clinic (at least initially). Even if you ideally hope to be independent or freelance, this could be a good stepping stone to get reviews, spread the word about your new talents, link-build and hopefully create a client base. Whilst we never advocate stealing clients from another business (this is simply dishonest and poor practice), the networking that you do whilst working alongside others can help you greatly when you branch off alone.

Final Words of Wisdom for Botox Training Marketing

  • Whatever your method of marketing, always remember to ask “Where did you find us / hear about us?” It is vital that you do this consistently or your marketing efforts are wasted because you have no idea what is bringing clients in and what is not, so you could be spending money on completely the wrong types of marketing.
  • Get into the habit of taking down contact details from every enquirer, whether they book or not. These will form the basis of your ‘marketing database’ – a list of emails, addresses and phone numbers that you can use to sell to in the future on an ongoing basis. Remember that once you have these and as you add to the list, you have a responsibility under Data Protection to look after these details, not to spam them with constant heavy sales pitches and to always give them the option to ‘opt out’ of future promotions.
  • Remember that saying the words ‘Botox’ or ‘Botulinum Toxin’ in a sales-orientated manner violates MHRA standards. So always be careful to use alternatives like ‘wrinkle-reducing treatment’ or ‘anti-ageing injections’ instead!
  • Words are everything – keep track of the language you are using, split test and be prepared to vary it. If something isn’t bringing in clients, change it and try saying it in a different way.

We hope this Botox Training Marketing Blog has been helpful. Cosmetic Courses are market leaders in both Cosmetic Training Courses for medical professionals and providing medical aesthetic marketing advice. If you would like more information about training with us, Book Online now or call our friendly team on 0845 230 4110.

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Can Botox cause Brain Damage? As Allergan faces continued law suits, should Aesthetic Practitioners be worried?

It is perhaps unsurprising in America’s compensation culture.  A controversial product like Botox is a bit of a sitting duck for legal allegations and, in April this year, manufacturers Allergan found themselves at the centre of exactly such a court battle.

After claiming that Botox injections left him with Brain Damage, 67-year-old Douglas Ray Jnr was awarded a whopping $212 million in compensation from Allergan. His is one of 3 court cases brought against Allergan, linking Botox to Brain Damage (the other 2 will be heard later this year). An inevitable media-frenzy followed.

This is despite the fact that no firm evidence was produced definitively proving Botox to be the cause of Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms. Allergan also protest the allegations that they provide inadequate information about the potential risks associated with the drug. The company are now challenging the charges.

So CAN Botox cause Brain Damage?

Of course, regardless of our skepticism about the “trigger-happy claims” tendencies in the U.S., allegations such as these are bound to have patients – and practitioners – concerned.

At around the time of this court case, The Journal of Neuroscience (April 2nd issue) featured an Italian study conducted on adult rats. Type A Botulinum Toxin injected into one side of the rats’ brains was demonstrated to appear on the other side as minute protein particles. The ‘Botox causes Brain Damage’ media frenzy began, neatly tying in with the Allergan court battle.

Yet, as Fabulously40 bloggers Lois Stern and Patty Kovacs point out, the rats received purified botulinum toxin. The Botox typically injected into patients is not the same. And although migration of protein particles might be worrying, it cannot be taken as definitive proof of brain damage. In fact, senior Harvard surgeon Gary Borodic emphasises: “There is nothing in this paper that says these injections will damage neurons or that there are long-term side-effects.”

Be Careful of Misinterpreting the Facts

 The fact that the Journal of Neuroscience article could create such media hype, despite being based on very little solid theory, has to make Practitioners also question the basis of the court case against Allergan.

For starters: what actually constitutes “Brain Damage”? Very few articles about this case actually describe Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms in tangible detail (though this does not necessarily mean they are not physically as well as mentally present). And of the 2 other upcoming cases against Allergan, at least one of them (according to sideeffects.net) ‘linked the [Botox] injection to a person’s limited ability to perceive the emotions of others’. This seems a rather woolly definition of Brain Damage. It also reminiscent of the symptoms of Autism, bringing with it the connotations of another recent media hype surrounding an injectable drug treatment: the children’s MMR injections.  As earlier stated: any controversial drugs or treatment programme becomes a scapegoat for criticism and compensation claims. But it is very hard to prove a definitive link when you are talking in terms of emotional capacity damage.

Secondly, it must be pointed out that Mr Ray Jnr did NOT receive Botox treatment for lines or wrinkles. By not clarifying this, the media has generally allowed the public to  think that he was…and therefore created the mass panic of hundreds of Botox affeciendos! He was in fact having treatment for hand tremor and writer’s cramp.  One of the charges brought against Allergan by the Justice Department are for promting Botox for “off label” use such as these,plus migraine headaches, juvenile cerebal palsy etc. All of these uses for Botox require different concentrations and methods of treatment which may involve a greater element of risk and have been tested for less time, on a lesser number of patients than Botox treatment for wrinkles.

In the Journal of Neuroscience featured study, the rats were injected directly into their brains…hardly a realistic testing condition for patients receiving treatment in standard cosmetic procedures. However, perhaps “off label” uses of Botox should be approached with greater caution until further investigations are carried out.

Finally, Douglas Ray Jnr’s ‘significant and catastrophic injury to the brain’ came about not through the Botox treatment itself but as a result of ‘severe accute immune reaction’ (BNET). This is where the charge against Allergan for failing to provide adequate information about the possible side-effects and risks of Botox comes into place. It is the duty of all good Aesthetic Practitioners to sufficiently warn their patients that, as with all drugs, Botox is not without risks. However (and especially in the case of the dosages used for anti-wrinkle treatment) these risks are well tested and marginal. A case like Mr Ray Jnr’s would be the absolute exception, not the norm.

And this is why, although it is of course important to express concern and to do your research when cases like the Allergan Botox Brain Damage trials come to light, we do not feel that Cosmetic Practitioners need to be putting Botox on the backburner just yet.

Article by Cosmetic Courses, leading UK providers of Aesthetic Injectables training (Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers) to medical professionals. Call 0845 230 4110 for more details, or visit our website.

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Botox for Asthma: The latest Botox buzz

First Migraines, now Asthma…what else can Botox Treat?

We are not skeptics about the wonders of Botox, or Botulinum Toxin Type A.  We are, of course, already familiar with its potential for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, treating excess sweating (hyperhidrosis) and even of its medicinal uses for an array of good: from Essential Tremor to Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebal Palsy (almost any condition involving involuntary muscle movement!).  More recently, those in the Medical Aesthetics industry have heard of the potential to treat their patients with Botox injections for Migraine. And now, the most recent development launched in Australia on Tuesday, comes testing of Botox as an Asthma alleviant.

Monash University tests Botox for Vocal Exhaustion
The research, conducted at Melbourne’s Monash University, involves particularly severe asthma cases….and Botox injections directly to the voicebox!

The focus is ‘vocal exhaustion’: as the Telegraph has reported, ‘half of people with asthma also have voicebox spasms that can make it difficult to exercise or perform other normal activities’.  The theory is that using Botulinum Toxin Type A to work its paralysing magic on the voicebox will stop the spasms, allowing severe asthma sufferers to resume normal standards of breathing and activity.

Is Botox to the Throat really Safe
Botox is already used for other vocal chord disorders (like spasmodic dysphonia) so there is definitely logic behind this line of thinking and it could well work…if patients can be persuaded to have shots of paralytic toxin directly to their throats! The trials (lasting a year and initially conducted on 60 patients – 30 real, 30 placebo) are only based in Australia for now and the USA and UK are likely to take a little more persuading before theydecide to go ahead with similar research.  For now, these countries are probably happy to sit back and watch with interest as director of respiratory medicine, Phil Bardin, and his team conduct the pioneering study: particularly as they are currently only “reasonably reassured that it’s safe”. Temporary quietness of the voice, however, is the only side-effect that they claim to be expecting.

One thing is for sure: continued research like this does show the credibility of Botulinum Toxin as a career path for Medical Professionals….this is not just a “Beauty” sector and there is a great deal of good, potential for pioneering work and health treatments which can be performed once you choose to train in Botox techniques.

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What units of Azzalure are Equivalent to Botox (in areas other than the Glabellar?)

Question :

Dear Cosmetic Courses,

I have just seen your video on youtube about reconstituting Azzalure and it was very helpful.

I understand the units are not the same as Botox.

Could you point me in the right direction to find what is equivalent?

I have looked at all the Azzalure literature and it looks to me that they are only promoting it for the glabellar area and therefore have only given units for that area.

I am assuming that it is fine for other areas too and wondered if you could give me any guidelines on dosage/units for other areas.

Can you also tell me where you are based.

My initial training was with another leading company. I do a lot of post graduate dental courses and feel I would have preferred a training course that was a bit more professionally presented rather than just a money making machine.

 

 

Answer :

Thanks for your question.

Azzalure,  like Vistabel,  is only licensed for use in the glabellar area.

It is, however, given in other areas – the forehead and crows feet –  like Botox and Vistabel.

I tend to make up a syringe of Azzalure with 1ml of bacteriostatic saline and use like Botox.

Azzalure comes in 125 unit vials which is roughy equivalent to 50 units of Botox or Vistabel.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to contact us again on 0845 230 4110 if we can be of any further help. We are based at the National Cosmetic Training Centre in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.

 

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