Newsletter Spring 2008

Cosmetic Medicine Accreditation

Quality in Practice (QIP) is currently working with the Australasian Society of Cosmetic Medicine (ASCM) and The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to develop a cosmetic medicine accreditation program.

A vital initial step in developing an accreditation program is the creation of a set of formal standards which will hold our profession accountable. QIP’s wealth of experience in primary health care accreditation will assist in ensuring the standards can be practically implemented within cosmetic medicine clinics.

QIP is a subsidiary company of AGPAL (Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited), the original provider of accreditation to general practices within Australia. AGPAL still remains the preferred supplier to 80 per cent of accredited general practices, equating to over 4200 practices.

You may ask what is accreditation really all about and what are the benefits for our profession? Accreditation is the longest established and most widely known process for the external evaluation of health care services. It assists in ensuring the delivery of safe and high quality health care, by recognising the achievements of health care teams to meet the requirements of established standards. It’s not about passing or failing, but an educative process which can help build a better, more efficient practice - saving time and money, and lowering risk.

The cosmetic medicine practice accreditation program is expected to be launched later in 2009. In the meantime, it’s worth starting to think about the relevance of accreditation to your practice or clinic. The benefits of accreditation are substantial and include:

improved patient safety and overall health outcomes,
reduced risk in practice,
improved practice efficiency,
improved practice environment,
increased recognition from insurance providers, and
the potential to create a competitive advantage.

We will continue to update you on the development of the cosmetic medicine practice accreditation program.

For more information please contact the ASCM President Dr Phillipson on (02) 9929 2566 or Email info@cosmeticmedicine.org.au.