Last week, Spa & Clinic reported on a Queensland tribunal decision that marks a significant moment for the aesthetic industry.
A registered nurse has been banned from practice for two years after administering Schedule 4 medicines without a valid medical consultation or prescription, and for continuing to practise while suspended. The findings are confronting, but they’re also an opportunity to learn, reflect, and improve our own practices.
As Spa & Clinic noted, the decision sends “a clear signal that Ahpra and the National Boards are no longer tolerating breaches that have long concerned regulators.” That signal matters for every cosmetic injector in Australia.
According to the tribunal findings, the practitioner administered restricted medicines without authorisation, falsified clinical records, and continued treating patients despite regulatory restrictions. The tribunal determined this behaviour constituted professional misconduct and highlighted the importance of deterrence, both for the practitioner involved and for the wider industry.
Ahpra CEO, Justin Untersteiner, reinforced this shift:
“We will leave no stone unturned to investigate and take action against practitioners who do the wrong thing.”
For years, Australia’s aesthetic industry has operated in an environment where expectations have been tightening, but enforcement has been inconsistent. That era has now ended.
This case reinforces several non-negotiables:
When a medication is not supplied by the prescribing provider, the chain of custody is compromised, creating uncertainty regarding the medication's origin and accountability. In such instances, practitioners cannot assume clinical responsibility for the safety, integrity, or efficacy of products they did not procure or oversee.
In the event of an adverse clinical reaction, audit, or complaint, clear and accurate records are critical. They provide transparency around the supply, prescribing, and administration of the medication, and protect both patient safety and the practitioner/s involved.
These are not administrative details, but the professional standards expected of every healthcare practitioner. They are fundamental patient safety obligations, and failing to uphold them carries serious consequences.
At Fresh Clinics, our mission has always been to support nurses to build sustainable, compliant aesthetic practices — backed by education, systems, and clinical governance that stand up to scrutiny.
This moment matters for our industry. It’s an opportunity to raise standards, protect patients, and ensure aesthetic medicine remains a respected, trusted profession.
Read the full Spa & Clinic article here.