ASDSA AdvocacyPractice AffairsMedical Spa Safety Resources: A Comprehensive Overview

Medical Spa Safety Resources:
A Comprehensive Overview

Patients Deserve Optimal Safety for Medical Procedures in Every Setting  

Lack of Regulation and Enforcement has Enabled a Large Number of Medical Spas to Offer Medical Procedures by Inadequately Trained or Supervised Persons to an Unsuspecting Public  

 

The current growth of medical spas in the United States is exponential:

  • Since 2010, the number of medical spas nationwide have increased nearly six-fold
  • In 2023, the medical spa industry in the United States was projected to garner as much as $20 billion in revenue, doubled from just 4 years prior.
  • By 2025, the annual revenue is expected to increase by another 25%.

With the growing public demand for medical spas, providing patients with optimal safety in all settings of care is a primary goal for ASDSA.

For optimal patient safety, ASDSA supports medical spa procedures based on patient outcomes and quality care, as well as appropriate on-site physician supervision, oversight and training.

ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or directly supervised by a physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist as recommended in the “Medical Spa Safety Act.” This model legislation calls on states to regulate medical spas and keep medical procedures under the oversight of physicians, along with requiring medical directors to have training on all procedures being performed. The model bill also includes additional staff education requirements, notification to the public if a physician is not on-site and options for mandatory adverse event reporting.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a guidance in 2023 to state that anyone considering a neurotoxin or dermal filler should consult with a licensed provider who is experienced in injecting dermal fillers; knowledgeable about fillers, anatomy, managing complications; and knows the risks and benefits of treatment.

If you encounter any adverse events associated with a procedure, please report them to the Cutaneous Procedures Adverse Events Reporting (CAPER) registry at caper.net.

We urge patients when visiting a med spa to ask:

  1. Who owns and operates the med spa?
  2. Who is performing the medical procedure?
  3. Do they have the proper education, training and oversight?

Recent Research Demonstrates the Importance of Regulating Medical Spas to Protect Patients

Dermatologic Surgery Studies:

Recent State Issued Regulation on Medical Spas


Where ASDSA Stands:

ASDSA Recent Press Releases / Statements

ASDSA Position Statements

Additional Information:

Med Spa Related ASDSA Social Media

Patient Safety Alert: Adverse Events Linked to Weight-loss Drugs

 

 

The FDA recently issued a warning about cases of overdoses caused by incorrect dosing of injectable weight-loss drugs, while the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners has reported cases of counterfeit weight-loss drugs from unlicensed and unregulated sources online endangering patient safety. These adverse reports emphasize the growing patient safety concerns regarding the lack of regulation and proper oversight of medical products / procedures.

ASDSA champions patient safety.

#ASDSAdvocacy #patientsafety #boardcertifieddermatologist #FDA #AdverseEvents

ASDSA presented on Advancing Patient Safety in Med Spas at the Federation of State Medical Boards annual meeting to help educate medical boards on the importance of regulating medical spas and their personnel to protect patients.