A brief overview of current proposed changes and the legalities of advertising prescription-only medicines

As summer begins to give way to autumn (although, with these heatwaves, that might be hard to believe), we all need something to look forward to. So, I hope that many are in possession of tickets for the upcoming British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) annual conference, which is being held at the East Side Rooms in Birmingham on 15–16 September 2022. There is an excellent lineup of speakers who should not be missed. Some who I am personally looking forward to are Sarah Gilmore and Kimberly Cains, who will be discussing body dysmorphia, and Elizabeth Hawkes, who will speak about surgical blepharoplasty. The BACN works tirelessly to bring about an annual conference of diverse and interesting speakers with a professional and welcoming atmosphere. I personally feel very privileged to have this conference to look forward to.

On a more serious note, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect upon the issue of advertising within the scope of aesthetic practice. Although the law clearly states that it is illegal to directly advertise prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public, it seems that a lot of confusion remains around what practitioners are allowed to advertise in regard to promoting aesthetic businesses. I understand that some aesthetic practitioners feel aggrieved that they are unable to promote their businesses in the way that they may wish to on social media or otherwise. However, regardless of personal feelings and concerns, the fact remains that it is not lawful to advertise POMs or allude to them within an advertisement directly to the public. To help to explain what we can and cannot do, I have interviewed an incredible person called Dawn Knight. I refer to Dawn as the Erin Brockovich of the medical aesthetics world.