Columbus Plastic Surgeon's Initiative Allows Nurses to Administer Botox
When a Columbus, Ohio plastic surgeon argued to the Ohio Board of Nursing, that "in a well supervised environment, it is safe [for nurses] to administer these Botox injections," only then did the board realize that there were no established guidelines or prohibitions for administration of injectables.
Dr. Fernando Colon's request to the Ohio Medical Board, which was submitted last year, sparked intense discussion in the state's cosmetic medicine community, according to an article in the Columbus Dispatch.
The board ultimately ruled in favor of allowing nurses to administer Botox injections once they complete a training session and the new regulations stipulate that nurses must operate within the confines of a proper medical facility. Those in favor of the ruling argue in the name of efficiency; if nurses can perform relatively simple procedures like Botox injections, highly trained physicians can concentrate on more complicated operations, which will increase the number of patients treated and increase profits.
Allergan, the company who makes Botox, is actually thriving in this lagging economy and this type of ruling might just give them an additional boost. Some also speculate that domestic sales could rise and push profits further as aging baby boomers strive to maintain a youthful appearance in order to stay competitive in the job market.
In many states, the toxicity of Botox prohibits anyone but licensed physicians to administer the drug and some Ohio physicians disagreed with the board ruling based on the potential complications that can occur. Bruising, muscle weakness and drooping are common problems associated with administration of the drug by untrained or inexperienced persons.
Dr. Michael Sullivan, another board certified facial plastic surgeon in Columbus, opposed the ruling, stating that, "We're going to hear of more and more complications and potentially deaths, because more and more physicians want to get out of insurance medicine and look at Botox and fillers and some of these quick procedures as a way to create a lucrative practice."
Whomever is administering the injections is sure to be closely scrutinized, by patients and the FDA alike, evidenced by the recent imprisonment of several doctors who used illegal Botox on thousands of patients. Patients are ultimately responsible for verifying the safety of their own choices, and should probably know better when a deal might be too good to be true.
Tim Howard for Real Beauty News
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