Taneesa Williamson Meet Mariel Tan, Cosmetic Injector, Clinical Trainer, Lawyer, and Founder of Body Contour Studio. With a unique blend of medical aesthetics experience and legal expertise, Mariel is committed to raising industry standards. Here, she shares her five non-negotiables for compliance.
Running an Aesthetic Clinic in today’s forever evolving aesthetics industry requires more than technical injecting skill, it demands a business owner to have legal, financial and operational awareness. As a Business owner, Cosmetic injector, Clinical Trainer and Solicitor, I have seen how non-compliance affects businesses of all sizes. Non-compliance leads to reputational damage, financial penalties, legal liabilities and in worse cases, loss of registration and reputational damage.
To ensure compliance, these are five principles that every aesthetic business should follow to ensure compliance:
1. Understand your legal and regulatory obligations
Every Aesthetic clinic in Australia must comply with their state laws and regulations, this will vary across different State and Territories and will differ depending on where the business is located. It is important for you to understand all regulations and laws you are governed by to ensure compliance. For example, the new AHPRA guidelines must be understood and implemented by all practitioners in the industry, and any changes must be implemented as time is of the essence. This includes ensuring that all clients receive evidence-based treatments, no misleading or deceptive advertisements and no exaggerated or edited results.
2. Scope of Practice
As Clinical Practitioners, we are all governed by our professional boundaries. All Practitioners must only perform procedures that they are trained and competent in. With any treatments like injectables or devices, working beyond your scope of practice will put your registration at risk. Staying within your limits and competencies, ensuring you are up to date with CPD, documenting your training information will ensure you are safeguarding your business and registration.
3. Informed Consent
Too often, we hear everyone talk about informed consent but not everyone understands what it entails. Informed consent refers to a legal requirement that a person must voluntarily agree to a treatment after being fully informed of all information. This can only be achieved when the person has the capacity to understand the information provided to them. The Practitioner must provide the full information about the nature and purpose of the procedure; risks and complications; treatment costs; benefits and expected outcomes, as well as outline other alternatives, including no treatment. After all the information is provided, the person must voluntarily agree to the procedure without coercion or undue influence.
As such, generic consent forms will not suffice, and you will need a specific consent form that covers everything in detail. You will also need to provide pre and post treatment information and have detailed clinical notes.
4. Documentation is Everything
Documentation is something that I often see practitioners failing at. They may rely on their admin staff to do their notes or rely on templates. Writing clear and detailed clinical notes is extremely important as this will protect you if a situation or problem arises. Your clinical notes should include everything that has been discussed, price, treatment plan and product. This includes product batch numbers, quantities and techniques used, as well as all follow-up appointments.
5. Obtain (the right) insurance cover
Insurance is your safety net. Make sure your policy covers all services offered in-clinic, includes all staff members, and provides adequate coverage. Schedule annual reviews to ensure your protection evolves with your practice.
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