Skip to content
Cart Notification help

In-depth topic course

Cosmetic Procedures: Ethical, Professional and Advertising Standards in Australia

Patient Selection, Consent, Cooling-Off, Advertising and Safe Practice for Cosmetic Work

  • 3 CPD hoursEstimated learning time
  • 20-question assessmentPass mark 80%
  • Online, self-pacedStart any time
  • CertificateFor your CPD records

Written for

Topics

About this course

Cosmetic practice in Australia has changed more in the last few years than almost any other area of health care. Medical practitioners have worked under dedicated cosmetic surgery and advertising guidelines since July 2023, and from 2 September 2025 every other registered profession that performs non-surgical cosmetic procedures has its own guidelines, together with strict rules for advertising higher-risk procedures. Nurses, dental practitioners and doctors who once relied on product training and clinic policies now need to show that their assessment, prescribing, consent, aftercare and marketing meet a clear national standard.

This course turns those requirements into practical habits. You will learn exactly when a prescriber must consult, how to screen for body dysmorphic disorder and decline gracefully, what the cooling-off rules require, how to document procedure, financial and image consent, and how to keep advertising lawful when the TGA restricts references to prescription-only products. Every topic is worked through with Australian scenarios, scripts and checklists, so you finish with changes you can make in your clinic the following week.

Who this course is for

  • Medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery or non-surgical cosmetic procedures
  • Registered nurses and nurse practitioners working as cosmetic injectors or prescribers
  • Enrolled nurses in cosmetic clinics who need to understand their supervision and procedural limits
  • Dentists and other dental practitioners who offer neurotoxin or filler treatments within their scope
  • Clinic owners, clinical leads and practice managers responsible for cosmetic workflows and marketing
  • Practitioners responding to concerns about cosmetic practice who want a structured refresher

What you’ll learn

  • Know which rules apply to you

    Identify whether the Medical Board guidelines or the 2025 Ahpra and National Boards guidelines govern your work, and how the National Law, TGA rules and state drugs and poisons laws fit around them.

  • Assess and consent with confidence

    Explore expectations, screen for body dysmorphic disorder, apply cooling-off periods and under-18 protections, and document procedure, financial and image consent properly.

  • Practise safely and prepare for complications

    Match settings to risk, keep emergency protocols ready, take responsibility for aftercare and keep records another practitioner could rely on.

  • Market without risk to your registration

    Remove testimonials, influencer content, filtered images and references to prescription-only products, and keep advertising away from young audiences.

Learning objectives

  • Identify which Australian guidelines apply to your cosmetic practice and how they relate to the Code of conduct.
  • Work within scope, training and competence, including the specific expectations for nurses.
  • Apply the consultation rules for prescribing cosmetic injectables.
  • Assess motivation and expectations and screen for body dysmorphic disorder.
  • Apply the protections for people under 18 and the cooling-off requirements.
  • Obtain and document informed, financial and image consent.
  • Prepare for complications, arrange aftercare and keep complete records.
  • Advertise cosmetic services in line with Board guidelines, section 133 and TGA rules.
  • Manage conflicts of interest and respond professionally to dissatisfaction and complaints.

Scenarios covered

Practice situations you reason through, step by step, in the course.

  • The text-message prescription

    A prescriber approves treatment after reading an online questionnaire and texts the nurse to go ahead. You will see why asynchronous prescribing fails the guidelines and how to set up compliant real-time consultations instead.

  • The third syringe in two months

    A client keeps returning for more filler and is never satisfied. You will practise exploring motivation, using a validated screening tool and declining respectfully with a referral.

  • The formal season campaign

    A clinic plans promotions themed around school formals. You will identify why the campaign targets young people and trivialises procedures, and what compliant marketing looks like.

  • The fly-in surgeon

    A medical practitioner operates in a regional town one weekend a month and leaves the next morning. You will map the aftercare, delegate and availability arrangements the guidelines require.

  • The refund with strings attached

    An unhappy client is offered a refund in exchange for silence. You will see why agreements must never stop complaints to Ahpra and how to handle dissatisfaction well.

  • Dusky skin two days later

    A client sends a photo of discoloured skin after filler. You will learn why prompt in-person review, not reassurance, is the professional response.

Course contents

7 sections, 28 lessons, then the final assessment.

  1. Section 1: The Australian Cosmetic Regulatory Landscape4 lessons
    • 1.1 Why Cosmetic Practice Is Regulated Differently
    • 1.2 Which Rules Apply to Whom
    • 1.3 Titles, Endorsement and the Public Register
    • 1.4 The Code of Conduct Underneath It All
  2. Section 2: Scope, Training and Prescribing4 lessons
    • 2.1 Working Within Scope Across the Professions
    • 2.2 Nurses and Midwives in Cosmetic Practice
    • 2.3 Training, Competence and Complication Readiness
    • 2.4 Prescribing Cosmetic Injectables
  3. Section 3: Patient Selection and Psychological Assessment4 lessons
    • 3.1 Exploring Motivation and Expectations
    • 3.2 Screening for Body Dysmorphic Disorder
    • 3.3 Declining and Referring Respectfully
    • 3.4 People Under 18
  4. Section 4: Informed Consent and Financial Consent4 lessons
    • 4.1 What People Need to Know
    • 4.2 Consultation Structure and Cooling-Off for Cosmetic Surgery
    • 4.3 Financial Consent, Deposits and Finance
    • 4.4 Consent for Photographs and Their Use
  5. Section 5: Safe Procedures, Facilities and Aftercare4 lessons
    • 5.1 Facilities and Emergency Readiness
    • 5.2 Recognising and Managing Complications
    • 5.3 Aftercare and Continuity of Responsibility
    • 5.4 Records That Stand Up to Scrutiny
  6. Section 6: Advertising Cosmetic Services Lawfully4 lessons
    • 6.1 The Legal Framework for Cosmetic Advertising
    • 6.2 Images, Social Media and Influencers
    • 6.3 Prescription Medicines and the TGA Rules
    • 6.4 Harmful Content: Under-18s, Trivialising and Sexualising
  7. Section 7: Commercial Pressures, Complaints and Accountability4 lessons
    • 7.1 Business Models, Sales Targets and Conflicts of Interest
    • 7.2 Complaints Information and Non-Disclosure Agreements
    • 7.3 Responding to Dissatisfaction and Poor Outcomes
    • 7.4 Regulatory Consequences in Cosmetic Practice
  8. Final assessment and written reflection20 questions

Assessment and certificate

  1. Work through the course

    Study each section at your own pace, including the case illustrations and apply-it questions.

  2. Pass the assessment

    20 scenario-based questions. You need 16 correct (80%) to pass.

  3. Write your reflection

    A short written reflection on how the learning applies to your own practice.

  4. Download your certificate

    Shows your name, the course, the date and 3 CPD hours. Anyone can check it on our verification page.

What you keep for your CPD records

  • A certificate of completion recording approximately 3 CPD hours of learning, to file in your CPD portfolio
  • Your written reflective account on assessment, commercial pressure and the changes you will make
  • A one-page pre-procedure checklist covering scope, prescribing, screening, consent, cooling-off, facility and aftercare
  • Tables and scripts you can reuse for team training and clinic policy review

How certificates and CPD records workVerify a certificate

Primary sources

The course is built on these official documents. Check them for the current version.

Questions about this course

Does Ahpra accredit or approve this course?

No. This is an independent CPD-aligned education course; it is not accredited, not approved and not endorsed by Ahpra, any National Board or any professional body. Under the CPD registration standards you choose activities that fit your own CPD plan and record the time you actually spend, keeping your certificate and reflection as evidence.

Do the 2025 cosmetic guidelines apply to doctors?

Medical practitioners continue to follow the Medical Board of Australia guidelines for cosmetic surgery and procedures, in place since July 2023. The 2025 practice guidelines apply to other registered practitioners, while the higher-risk advertising guidelines apply to anyone who advertises those procedures. The course explains both sets side by side.

Can a prescriber approve cosmetic injectables without seeing the client?

No. A prescriber must have an in-person or real-time video consultation each time a cosmetic injectable is prescribed. Prescribing from questionnaires, texts or emails, and bulk prescribing for stock, are not acceptable practice. The course walks through how to set up compliant workflows.

How much experience does a registered nurse need before doing injectables?

Registered nurses need at least one year of general or specialist practice before performing non-surgical cosmetic procedures, plus relevant cosmetic education and training. Enrolled nurses have additional supervision requirements and limits on high-risk areas, which the course sets out.

Can I still use before-and-after photos?

Images must be genuine, unedited, representative and taken in consistent conditions, with separate and revocable consent from the person, and no discounts in return. They must also meet the other advertising rules. The course gives practical tests for checking your existing images.

Why can I not say "anti-wrinkle injections" in my advertising?

The TGA treats euphemisms for prescription-only medicines as references to those medicines, which generally cannot be advertised to the public. You can usually promote a consultation service without naming the products. The course includes example wording to compare.

Will this course meet a condition on my registration?

Completing this course does not by itself satisfy any condition, undertaking or Board requirement. If you are subject to one, confirm with Ahpra or your Board, and your lawyer or medical defence organisation, whether a particular course is acceptable before you enrol.

How long does the course take?

It is designed as about 3 hours of learning including reading, case illustrations, a reflective account and a 20-question scenario-based assessment with a pass mark of 80%. Record the time you actually spend.

Save with the program that includes this course