Who can administer polynucleotides in the UK?

Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so it must be prescribed by a qualified prescriber following a face-to-face assessment. Polynucleotides and dermal fillers are not medicines, so that requirement does not apply to them.

In England there is at present no statutory qualification requirement for injecting a non-prescription cosmetic device. A licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures has been consulted on and is expected to introduce practitioner and premises licensing, but until it is in force the position remains as described.

Other parts of the UK differ in detail. In Scotland, independent clinics where treatment is provided by healthcare professionals must register with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and further regulation of non-healthcare practitioners has been under development. Wales has legislated for a special procedures licensing regime. Northern Ireland has its own arrangements.

One clear UK-wide rule: it is a criminal offence to administer dermal fillers or botulinum toxin to a person under 18 for cosmetic purposes.

Registers worth checking before booking:

• GMC for doctors, NMC for nurses and midwives, GDC for dentists and dental professionals, GPhC for pharmacists. These are statutory registers, searchable free of charge.
• JCCP holds a voluntary register of practitioners who meet defined education and training standards.
• Save Face is an accredited register of clinics and practitioners assessed against published criteria.

Ask directly about medical malpractice and public liability insurance covering the specific treatment. A practitioner who cannot evidence insurance is a practitioner you have no straightforward recourse against.

Because polynucleotides are devices, no prescription is needed and they can be purchased by practitioners from authorised distributors. Many reputable distributors choose to supply only regulated healthcare professionals or practitioners who have completed recognised training, but this is company policy, not law.

Products bought through grey-market or overseas online channels may be counterfeit, incorrectly stored or not intended for the UK market. It is entirely reasonable to ask where a clinic sources its products and to look at the packaging yourself before treatment.

• Get their full name and professional registration number, and search it.
• Ask what training they have completed specifically in polynucleotide injection and in the area being treated.
• Ask how many of these treatments they perform, and how often.
• Ask who supervises or supports them, and who handles complications.
• Ask whether they can access emergency medication and arrange onward medical care.
• Confirm the treatment takes place in a clinical setting, not a home or salon.
• Confirm there is a written consent process, a record of your medical history, and a cooling-off period rather than pressure to book on the spot.

If a complication occurs and you are unhappy with how it is handled, you can complain to the practitioner’s professional regulator where they have one, to the register they belong to, and report device-related incidents to the MHRA. See safety and regulation and training routes.