Adherence of Practitioners to Updated Cosmetic Surgery Advertising Regulations

On 1 July 2023, new advertising regulations were introduced in Australia to more closely regulate cosmetic surgery advertising. These guidelines apply to all practitioners of cosmetic surgery and were introduced to protect patients. In Australia, three professional associations comprise most practitioners performing cosmetic surgery. These professional associations are the Australian Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), the Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) and The Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine (ACCSM). The aim of this study was to audit the compliance of practitioners performing cosmetic surgery to these new advertising guidelines.

This study involved the review of websites associated with all medical practitioners listed on the ASPS, ASAPS and ACCSM association websites in the state of Victoria, Australia. It was performed between the 1 and 30 September 2023 by three medical practitioners all working in plastic surgery. Guidelines from the Medical Board of Australia 'Guidelines for registered medical professionals who advertise cosmetic surgery' which came into effect on 1 July 2023 were used as the reference for this study. A retrospective review was then conducted on a cross section of results by an external reviewer who was a nurse not working in plastic surgery.

A total of 158 practitioners were identified and 120 were eligible for audit. Eighteen percent of ASPS members, 33% of sole ASAPS members and 71% of ACCSM were found to breach a guideline. The external reviewer concurred with 95% of the global outcomes recorded by the primary reviewers.

ASPS and ASAPS members in Victoria are more compliant with recently updated advertising regulations than ACCSM members. All cosmetic surgery practitioners should review their advertising practices and ensure compliance to updated regulations.