The American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) has released its Guidelines for Non-surgical Medical Practices (Medical Spas), which are designed to help medical aesthetic practices—and the medical aesthetic industry at large—establish and maintain a culture of safety and compliance. In conjunction with the release of these guidelines, AmSpa will host a remote informational meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at 6 p.m. CDT, during which Alex Thiersch, JD, CEO and founder of AmSpa, and others involved in drafting the guidelines will answer questions attendees have about them.

The Guidelines for Non-surgical Medical Practices (Medical Spas) can be read and downloaded at www.americanmedspa.org/medspaguidelines. They cover a wide variety of topics, including:

  • The provision of medical treatment;
  • Medical directors, protocols and training;
  • Initial examination, diagnosis and treatment plan;
  • Provision of medical services, delegation and supervision;
  • Restrictions of certain medical treatments and providers;
  • Ownership and compensation; and
  • Advertising, marketing and social media.

In addition, each article includes commentary from the authors in order to further clarify their intentions.

“These guidelines were developed in conjunction with medical spa owners, physicians, attorneys and a variety of practitioners, including plastic surgeons, dermatologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, aestheticians… you name it,” says Thiersch. “The goal of the practice guidelines is to create a unified, consistent set of guidelines that medical aesthetic practices can follow in order to ensure they are operating in a compliant manner. AmSpa is very excited about these guidelines, and I truly believe they will go a long way toward unifying the industry.”

In order to further explain and clarify the Guidelines for Non-surgical Medical Practices (Medical Spas), AmSpa will present an informational meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at 6 p.m. CDT; you can register to attend this meeting at bit.ly/GuideMtg. It is open to anyone who wishes to attend. If you have questions or concerns about the guidelines, send them to [email protected] by 12 p.m. (noon) CDT on Wednesday, September 23, so they can be addressed during the meeting.

“The guidelines are essentially a summary of the existing law in the overwhelming majority of states,” says Thiersch. “AmSpa has not tried to change anything drastically, nor are we trying to favor one group over any other. Our main goals are safety and compliance; to that end, these guidelines are intended to set out the basic rules that AmSpa has been espousing for years. Most of these rules are in place already, but they are difficult to find. AmSpa’s goal in creating these guidelines is to gather, summarize and clarify the rules that are already in place so that folks are able to easily follow them.”

“These standards have been built from best practices and rules frequently used throughout the country,” adds AmSpa legal coordinator, Patrick Armstrong O’Brien, JD. “For most medical aesthetic practices, many parts of these standards will feel familiar, and they may find that the standards already reflect how they are currently practicing.”

About the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) 
The American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) provides business and legal resources to medical spas and aesthetic practices across the country. AmSpa’s events—including Medical Spa & Aesthetic Boot Camps and Medical Spa Show—provide business and legal best-practices to anyone entering the medical spa space or looking to improve their existing practice. AmSpa members receive access to legal summaries of laws governing medical spas in their state, discounts, a robust and growing webinar library, and many other benefits. For more information visit www.americanmedspa.org, call 312-981-0993, or email [email protected].