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The Harley Street Journal

Bi-monthly newspaper for the cosmetic and plastic surgery sector

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injectable

Reducing Needlestick Injuries In The Clinical Environment

May 14, 2014 by Laura Casewell

10967686_xxlA small but still troubling number of healthcare workers develop a potentially life-threatening disease as a result of sharps injury. In the UK approximately 10,000 needle-stick injuries occur each year.

When you then consider the risk of infection following a needle-stick injury is estimated to be 1 in 3 for HBV, 1 in 30 for HCV and 1 in 300 for HIV, it is vital that safety procedures are put in place in all aesthetic clinics.

Following the introduction of The Health & Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 in May last year, all healthcare facilities need to assess the risk of exposure to blood-borne infections from sharps injuries, identify how to eliminate this and where exposure cannot be eliminated, put into place extensive prevention methods.

The new legislation also requires a framework for the occurrence of a sharps injury and the need for employers to revise their reporting procedures with health and safety representatives.

The health and safety law has always placed general responsibilities on the employer to provide their staff with a healthy working environment. However, this new legislation is putting further emphasis on prevention.

In reality it would be difficult, if not impossible to remove all sharps from a healthcare practice, so the next best thing is to assess the risk correctly, use devices which limit the risk of injury and dispose of all sharps in a safe manner.

Key tips all clinical staff should do to help reduce needle-stick injuries are:

  • Cease recapping of needles
  • Ensure the correct type & size of sharps disposal unit is in place
  • Make sure your sharps disposal units are assembled & closed correctly
  • Place all sharps disposal units in a safe, secure location
  • Dispose of your sharps at point of use
  • Report all sharps injuries immediately
  • In the case of a needle-stick injury follow your H&S protocol immediately

It’s important to remember that when it comes to hazardous and infectious waste, such as syringes and other sharps at a clinical practice the cradle-to-grave rule applies. The producer of waste will always be held responsible for the safe and legal disposal of it, even after it has been passed onto the waste carrier collecting it.

This is why it’s important to work with comprehensively trained sharps waste disposal experts who will safely and securely dispose of it and advise on the correct products which comply with both the UK and EU legislation.  Health and safety law is criminal law and healthcare organisations can be subject to enforcement action if they fail to comply with the legal requirements. There is also always a threat of civil law action if an employee is injured due to insufficient practices and technologies being in place.

Everyone has a role to play in the prevention of sharps injuries. From those working in patient-facing roles through to managers and owners who will hold legal overall responsibility for the well-being of their staff.

About Initial Medical

Initial Medical is an expert in healthcare waste management, providing a complete collection, disposal and recycling service for hazardous and non-hazardous waste and offensive waste produced by businesses and organisations within the UK. The safe management of healthcare waste is vital to ensure your activities are not a risk to human health.  Initial Medical’s healthcare waste services ensure that all of your waste is stringently handled in compliance with legislation and in accordance with Safe Management of Healthcare Waste V2 best practice guidelines, providing you with the peace of mind that you are adhering to current legislation.

By Rebecca Allen of Initial Medical. For further information please visit www.initalmedical.co.uk or call 0870 850 4045

Filed Under: Blog, Features, News Tagged With: cosmetic, cosmetic news, cosmetic treatment, cosmetic treatments, health concern, health scare, injectable, needle-stick, news

Botulinum Toxin A Tops US Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedure List

April 15, 2014 by Laura Casewell

11329948_xlInjection of botulinum toxin type A continues to be the most popular form of minimally invasive cosmetic surgery, with a total of more than 6.3 million procedures performed in 2013, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported.

Overall, botulinum toxins such as Botox and Dysport accounted for 47% of the market for minimally invasive procedures, which totalled 13.4 million procedures in 2013, according to the ASPS.

The second most popular surgery was injection of soft tissue fillers, with 2.2 million procedures performed, followed by chemical peels (1.2 million procedures), laser hair removal (1.1 million), and microdermabrasion (970,000), the ASPS said.

The total number of minimally invasive procedures increased by 3% from 2012, as did the number of botulinum injections. The largest increase for a single type of procedure was seen for the soft tissue fillers, with hyaluronic acid injections up 18% from 2012 to 2013, the ASPS noted.

The estimates for 2013 are based on data from a national database and survey responses from 800 dermatologists, ENTs, and plastic surgeons.

Filed Under: Blog, Features, News Tagged With: America, botulinum, cosmetic, cosmetic news, cosmetic treatment, cosmetic treatments, injectable, news, non-surgical

Wrinkle treatments should be better regulated, says BAAPS

October 21, 2013 by Laura Casewell

7961111_xxlInjectable anti-wrinkle treatments should be classed as medicines so they can be properly regulated, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said.

BAAPS has recently raised concerns that people can buy dermal filler treatments online without knowing exactly what chemicals are in them.

The organisation suggests that the treatments, which involve injecting a gel-like substance into wrinkle sites, should be classed as medicines so that they are properly tested before they can be sold.

The move would also regulate who can give the treatments and would ban advertising for the products.

BAAPS president Rajiv Grover said:

“It is of paramount importance that the growing area of largely unregulated dermal fillers be controlled and we have put forward for consideration the simple measure of reclassifying these injectables as medicines.

“This will kill three birds with one stone by regulating which ones come on the market, automatically banning their advertising and defining who is qualified to dispense them.”

The body made the recommendation to the Keogh review of cosmetic surgery and procedures. BAAPS also recommended that the term ‘surgeon’ is legally protected and that there should be an obligatory register for practitioners.

Surgeons from abroad should have UK-based indemnity insurance and advertising for cosmetic procedures should be “severely restricted”, a BAAPS spokeswoman added.

BAAPS said there should also be a financial protection scheme for people who choose to have cosmetic surgery to prevent another scenario akin to the PIP implant scandal.

Filed Under: Blog, Features, News Tagged With: anti-wrinkle, cosmetic, cosmetic treatment, injectable, news, non-surgical

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