Do MD's need to live in the same state as an RN to supervise Botox/dermal filler injections?

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  A physician must be licensed in the state that he and any of his supervised employees work.  Hope this helps.

 Generally speaking - the Physician must be licensed in the same State as the Provider that he/she is supervising and must meet the requirements for supervision in that State. In the State of Florida- only PA or NP under supervision of a licensed MD can administer injections. Beware of discounted clinics with no M.D. available to examine you and advise on the appropriate treatment.

In California, the doctor needs to have done a good faith examination and be on the premises when the service is performed.  Many of these "Nurse Clinics" are illegal businesses.  In California, the Medical Board, which oversees the unlicensed practice of medicine, is swamped. They do not have the resources to track down all these illegal business and shut they down.  Let the buyer beware.

Nurses do not have a license to practice medicine. They are functioning as an extender of care for the physician under the doctors supervision. In different states, supervision can be done by phone and not necessarily in person. However, as a patient, you should be able to ask to have the doctor check on you. So there must be some provision to have the doctor see you at some point for any problem. In addition, in some states, the doctor must see you before treatment in order to perform a good faith exam. Ultimately it is the doctor's license which is being used to treat you but both must have licenses for that state.

Every state has different rules regarding a physician's supervision of a nurse or PA injector.  Supervision may need to be direct (on site) or indirect (off site but available by phone or communication). You may also need a supervision agreement between you and the physician provider.  You should check with your state nursing board, your liability insurance provider or a health care attorney for a definitive opinion on the rules in your state.  

Yes. It makes sense for the supervising surgeon to be in (and licensed by) the same state as the RN performing your injections. You will need to check with your state's medical board to see if it is the law. Hope this helps and best of luck. 

It is generally true that the supervising doctor be in the same state as the nurse but state laws may vary. Check with your state medical society if you have a question

Yes. The doctor and any of his nursing staff completing injections need to be licensed in the state where the treatments are taking place. 

Thank you for your question karlij14. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein
used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into
the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The
most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the
horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the
vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the
crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.Botox is a prescription strength medication that
is injected into the skin or other areas. Therefore, it is important that the
treatment is performed by a trained medical professional. This can be a
physician, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse. Laws vary from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction on who is allowed to provide the treatment. In
California, for example, any of these aforementioned medical professional is
permitted to provide a treatment. With the recent explosion of cosmetic
medicine, there are more and more people offering such services. This includes
core physicians such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists as well as other
physicians who are trained in cosmetic treatments such as general physicians,
gynecologists, or other specialists. It is important to understand that just
because a doctor is a plastic surgeon or dermatologist does not necessarily
make them an expert on Botox. General doctors who routinely perform Botox
treatments multiple times per day likely have more experience and expertise
than a plastic surgeon who spends most of his time performing surgeries and
performs perhaps only a single Botox treatment per month. Similarly, there are
many outstanding nurse injectors who spend their entire days performing cosmetic
treatments, as they are often delegated to nurses. Their experience can at
times be great than that of many doctors. This understandably makes it
difficult to find a good provider. I recommend looking for experience
(specifically in Botox and other minimally invasive cosmetic treatments such as
fillers and lasers), before and after photographs, and testimonials. Looking
for an office who offers the most competitive price is often a recipe for
disaster. We have had many patients come to our office to correct various
issues they have had when they selected an injector based on price alone.I am not aware of laws that regulate where physicians live. Rather, physicians must have a license in a state in which they practice. If a physician is supervising a nurse, that is considered practicing medicine.Please consult with a doctor for specific
recommendations. Good luck!

Good question.  The answer depends on the state in which you live, as this is governed by the State Medical Board. Perhaps I am old school, but I personally do all of my own injections.  You must know your anatomy and be prepared in the rare chance of something unexpected.  There are plenty of people doing injections; seek out a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon and make sure they do the procedure.  Lana Long, MD