Aesthetic practice and pharmacy

Our view

Pharmacists who wish to expand their scope of practice should have access to, and undertake, the appropriate training. The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)1 holds a register of approved training providers and a list of registered practitioners. In order to register with JCCP, practitioners must demonstrate the necessary level of competence for the procedures they wish to carry out. 

Non-surgical aesthetic procedures such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are usually private treatments, requiring a physical examination. Similarly to any area of practice, whether prescribing or delivering these services, pharmacists must make sure they have the correct knowledge, skills and competence to keep patients safe2

RPS supports the code of practice3 from the JCCP and their competency framework4 which defines both the procedures pharmacists could undertake and the training required to do so, as well as those procedures pharmacists should not undertake. 

First Published: February 2019


1 JCCP Education and Training Provider Register 

2 Prescribing Competency framework for all prescribers, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, July2016 

3 Code of Practice for aesthetic practitioners, JCCP 

4 Competency Framework for Cosmetic Practice, JCCP, 2018