The Medical Board of Australia has unveiled a suite of new guidelines aimed at better regulating the cosmetic surgery industry.
Among the new measurements is a requirement for a seven-day cooling off period before a surgery for adult patients and three-month cooling off period for children under 18.
Patients under 18 will also be required to undergo an evaluation by a registered psychiatrist, psychologist or general practitioner.
A cosmetic surgery clinic has reviewed its procedures after an investigation found breast implant patients were given unsafe doses of drugs.
The cosmetic surgeon will be required to take full responsibility for the patient's post-operative care, to give the patient detailed written information about the costs associated with the procedure and to conduct a consultation before prescribing injectable cosmetic products.
"The guidelines will help keep patients safe, without imposing an unreasonable regulatory burden on practitioners," Board chairwoman, Dr Joanna Flynn said.
"The changes prioritise patient safety and reduce some of the regulatory requirements proposed in the previous draft guidelines, when either there was no evidence of improved safety or the costs significantly outweighed the benefits of a proposal."
