Say No To Botox “Bargains”

Posted: Monday 18 July 2011 12:18pm

We all love a bargain, especially in this tenuous,  carbon tax fear-fuelled economic climate. But when it comes to your health and wellbeing, cutting corners can be downright dangerous.

The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA) has just released a warning to consumers about taking up discounted cosmedical procedures – such as Botox and Dysport anti-wrinkle injectibles, dermal fillers, microdermabrasion and IPL (light therapy) or laser treatments -  from group-buy and coupon deals websites such as Spreets, Jump On It and Scoopon.

“There are some ‘bargains’ that Australians should avoid,” says Dr Gabrielle Caswell, President of the CPSA. According to Dr  Caswell, the promotion of these discounted cosmetic procedures raises a number of serious legal and ethical issues.

“To take advantage of these deals, people are required to pay for a medical procedure prior to a face-to-face consultation which would determine whether the treatment was appropriate for the individual,” she says.

“These coupons encourage the indiscriminate and potentially unnecessary use of regulated health services and are also time-limited, which contradicts a number of Australian medical guidelines and laws.

“It is unclear whether these deals allow refunds if, after a consultation, the patient decides not to go ahead with the procedure. If refunds don’t exist, patients may feel pressured to undergo a procedure even though it might not be appropriate for them. If refunds do exist, it’s also unclear whether the patient would be informed of this option during the consultation.

“Furthermore, these types of offers also encourage impulse purchases, which means people may rush into having a medical treatment and they often encourage the purchaser to buy procedures for friends as well. They may also encourage excessive use of such procedures, which is highly unethical,” says Dr Caswell.

The CPSA has also observed a number of advertisers on group-buy websites flouting the Therapeutic Goods Act (1989) by directly advertising prescription-only medications to consumers.

“The advertising of Schedule 4 or prescription-only medications is regulated by advertising guidelines set by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. It’s against these regulations to advertise prescription-only medications such as Botox®, by their trade, generic or corrupted names, directly to consumers, but an alarming number of service providers on these sites are continuing to do so,” says Dr Caswell.

The CPSA urges consumers considering these types of procedures to always speak to a registered doctor, such as a member of the CPSA, to ensure that they are receiving treatment from an appropriately trained and qualified expert.

Also that the prospective patient’s medical history and other relevant factors are taken into acount, and that she or he is given a physical assessment before a treatment plan is recommened.

The CPSA has sent written advice to group-buy and coupon websites asking them to cease accepting these advertisements but has yet to receive responses.

In May, the CPSA also issued a warning to consumers about the dangers of buying prescription only medicines online from overseas websites after a woman presented to Dr Caswell’s clinic with alarming symptoms.

Some weeks previously the patient had bought a “dermal filler substance” online. Two days after having “HA 40 mg/ml” injected, her lips were swollen like inner tubes and within six weeks she had developed abcesses on her right cheek (pictured above).

Another disturbing trend is the resurgence of “injecting parties”, where people organise groups of friends and have a doctor visit a private venue and perform anti-wrinkle and dermal filling procedures en masse.

Kate McGrath, Marketing Director of Mondeal Aesthetics (distributors in Australia of dermal fillers as such as Esthelis, Fortelis and Aquamid) was alarmed to recently hear a company advertising on Sydney radio to host such parties.

“I rang them as a `prospective customer’ to find out more,” she says. The woman I spoke to said the doctor who performed the party procedures had been injecting for 30 years – Botox and and dermal fillers haven’t even been available in Australia for 30 years!

“It is so important for people wanting anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers to seek a consultation with a doctor, or registered nurse under a doctor’s auspices, in a controlled clinical environment – and most importantly, to find someone who is a skilled injector.”

by Jenni Gilbert

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