9/18/07

A recent survey by The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety suggests that patients do not take simple steps to ensure that the product they are receiving is authentic.

Only 0.8% of physicians surveyed stated that their patients always ask to see aesthetic injectable packaging to ensure authenticity and that only 5.2% are sometimes asked for this information. The majority of responding physicians say that patients either never (65.8%) or rarely (27%) ask to see aesthetic injectable packaging to ensure authenticity.

The study, conducted by Columbus, Ohio-based Industry Insights, asked Coalition physicians, members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, their views on informed consent and patient behavior in the injectable arena specific to treatment with aesthetic injectables.

The results of the study found that 85% require patients to sign an informed consent document; 97.1% provide verbal information prior to treatment; 91.3% provide written information prior to treatment; and 98.1% include risks of the procedure in patient education information.

"Patient education information is not only the responsibility of the doctor, but also the responsibility of the patient," says Baltimore, Maryland Coalition spokesperson Ira Papel, MD, FACS, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University. "By partnering with your physician and asking the right questions consumers have a better chance of achieving the desired results and averting complications with injectable therapies."

The Coalition suggests that all patients know the following basic information: what defines an informed consent and why they should sign documents with each treatment?; how to ensure product authenticity—what does each brand’s product packaging look like? what markings are important to safety?; how to choose a qualified physician/provider of aesthetic injectables; warning signs that an aesthetic injector might not be a safe or qualified choice to administer treatment; and cautions on the appropriate setting to receive treatments.

[www.medicalnewstoday.com, August 28, 2007]