Botox row intensifies as Irish regulators urged to clarify nurse role

Ireland’s booming aesthetic medicine sector is facing regulatory confusion, with growing friction between doctors and nurses over who can legally administer Botox. While the law states that only doctors or dentists may prescribe and direct its use, ambiguity around what constitutes “direction” has sparked heated debate.

Nurses argue they routinely administer prescription medicines without a doctor on site across the health service. Doctors, however, insist Botox injections require immediate medical oversight due to the risk of serious reactions. Both sides agree on one point—the real threat comes from unqualified, unregulated injectors operating without any medical training.

Calls are mounting for the HPRA, Medical Council and NMBI to issue clear guidance and enforce statutory regulation to protect patient safety and uphold standards in Ireland’s fast-growing aesthetic industry.

Read the full article to understand what’s at stake in Ireland’s Botox regulation battle.