Pharmacies seeking advice on establishing an aesthetics business, including what the expected training and standards requirements are, can turn to several organisations (see ‘Useful resources’ below). 

Perhaps the most relevant for pharmacies is the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) which can raise practice concerns with the General Pharmaceutical Council. The JCCP operates its own voluntary Practitioner Register under which practitioners must meet stringent entry requirements, sign up to a Code of Practice and operate within a set of standards and competences.^9,10

Topics covered in its resources and guides for professionals include responsible prescribing for cosmetic procedures, an audit for premises standards, good practice guides for training and education in the aesthetics sector, adverse incident reporting, and risks associated with botulinum toxin.¹⁰

It also offers the public more information about non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as injections, fillers, lasers, peels and hair restoration surgery, with advice on patient safety matters and how to gain access to registers of approved practitioners.

Another organisation, Habia (the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority) is part of the Skills Active charity. It is recognised by government bodies as the Standard Setting Body (SSB) for the hair, beauty, nails, spa, and aesthetic sectors. It has a long record of developing national standards that form the basis of qualifications across the UK.¹¹