The Louisiana Department of Public Health reminds the public to only receive FDA-approved botulinum toxin injections by a licensed individual in a healthcare setting after two reports of botulism-like symptoms. ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician using FDA-approved products, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

#ASDSAdvocacy #MedSpaSafety #PatientSafety #PractitionerMisrepresentation

Multiple people were arrested in Texas for practicing medicine in a medical spa without a license - one claiming to be a doctor and the other “nurse certified” . After performing injections and other procedures, there were allegedly patient injuries, including a punctured nerve. 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,” and supports disclosure of level of licensure in medical advertisements and communications, as well as posting this information in health care settings and on ID badges in patient-interactions.

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A woman in Texas is facing felony charges for operating a medical spa unlicensed and falsely presenting herself as a nurse. Patients deserve to make informed decisions about from whom they receive medical treatment. 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,” and supports disclosure of level of licensure in medical advertisements and communications, as well as posting this information in health care settings and on ID badges in patient-interactions.

#ASDSAdvocacy #MedSpaSafety #PatientSafety #PractitionerMisrepresentation

A “celebrity esthetician” has been accused of burning and scarring a patient after performing a chemical peel and multiple rounds of microneedling, procedures outside the scope of practice for estheticians in California. ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

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Elle magazine highlights the dangers that have occurred in medical spas where there can be a lack of oversight and regulation. This article highlights ASDSA’s med spa microsite resources, which include the ASDSA Med Spa Safety model bill, journal articles and studies, and news stories calling for increased safety for patients. ASDSA’s model bill calls for regulation of med spas, requiring all medical procedures to be performed or directly supervised by a physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

If you encounter any counterfeit products or patients injured by a non-physician, physicians should report such occurrences to ASDSA’s CAPER , FDA and/or the appropriate state licensing board.

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An unlicensed woman in Florida has been arrested for illegally performing a laser procedure that resulted in blistering and necrosis on a patient’s chin in a medical spa. ASDSA opposes unsupervised non-physician operators performing any laser or energy-based procedures of any type.

#ASDSAdvocacy #MedSpaSafety #PatientSafety #LaserSafety

An owner of an Iowa spa has been fined and sanctioned for performing medical laser services outside of a licensed esthetician’s scope of practice, without proper certification and without a required medical director. ASDSA opposes unsupervised non-physician operators performing any laser or energy-based procedures of any type.

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The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has revoked four licenses for illegally dispensing drugs for weight loss and cosmetic procedures. Patients deserve optimal safety for medical procedures in every setting, and it is important to make sure all patients receive FDA approved products and not counterfeit or otherwise unsafe treatments.

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A woman in Florida claiming to be a doctor has been arrested for injecting a patient with botulinum toxin, which led to facial paralysis, in a backyard shed posing as a med spa. ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

#ASDSAdvocacy #MedSpaSafety #PatientSafety

A suspected case of iatrogenic botulism in Oregon has led to hospitalization after an individual was injected with potentially counterfeit botulinum toxin by an unlicensed injector in a non-clinical setting. ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician using FDA-approved products, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has alerted the public regarding the rise of botulism cases linked to a med spa in Milton, MA. Past ASDS/A President, Dr. Mathew Avram highlights the dangers associated with improperly administered injections resulting in botulism. ASDSA encourages patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

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A woman in Florida has been arrested and charged for practicing medicine without a license after she injected patients in her apartment with unknown, mail-order substances. ASDSA urges patients to ensure medical procedures are performed or supervised by an onsite physician, especially by a board certified dermatologist.

#ASDSAdvocacy #MedSpaSafety #PatientSafety

The New Mexico Medical Board has issued a regulation for medical spas in an effort to protect patient safety. The regulation focuses on defining the practice of medicine within medical spas and requiring on-site physician supervision for procedures delegated to trained individuals.

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The Oklahoma Medical Board is taking steps to protect patients visiting medical spas. The OMB has announced guidelines that require an established physician-patient relationship before any med spa procedures and physician supervision when delegating to properly trained individuals.

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The Rhode Island Department of Health has released guidance for medical spas delineating the scope of practice for physicians and non-physicians. 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.”

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The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has launched a website dedicated to providing rules and regulations for medical spas, calling for appropriate licensing, training, and physician supervision for medical procedures. We encourage other states to take advantage of our Med Spa Safety Resources to protect patient safety.

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Lack of regulation and enforcement has led to some medical spas offering medical procedures by inadequately trained or unsupervised personnel. The IDFPR and IDPH have released recent guidance to combat this issue, requiring physician supervision / appropriate training to delegated individuals and classifying lasers as the practice of medicine. We applaud IDFPR for helping keep patients safe and utilizing our Med Spa Safety Resources.

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