Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) Company, announces Moving the Needle on Ethics– its collaboration with medical aesthetics experts from around the globe aiming to elevate discussions on ethics in aesthetics. The collection of interviews highlights the need for industry-wide transparency and integrity to meet the expected increase in global demand for aesthetics treatments.
The global medical aesthetics industry is set to grow faster than ever before, with 23 million dermal filler and 14.6 million body procedures predicted by 2025.1 With the influx of new practitioners and patients, trusted information, and education to ensure high ethical standards is more important than ever.
“We are at a unique moment in the evolution of our industry, and we must ensure that ethics is front and center in our minds and in our clinical practice,” says world renowned aesthetic surgeon Dr Mauricio de Maio. “A coordinated effort is needed to reconsider the guiding principles of ethics, ensuring patient safety is prioritized.”
Over ninety percent of practitioners (91%) believe those providing medical aesthetic procedures should be guided by ethical standards.2 As part of the Aesthetics-Ethics program, Allergan Aesthetics engaged in extensive global research, including global social media listening, insight gathering and face-to-face discussions across the industry in 13 countries3 to better understand the ethical environment and key topics in the industry today and into the future.
Bringing together industry voices to discuss ethics
Based on the research findings, the Moving the Needle on Ethics Book further examines the ethical landscape of aesthetic medicine and elevates the role and impact of ethical excellence across a range of scenarios including consultation, social media, training and education, product quality and patient care. The aim is to support patient safety and positive outcomes.
“The goal of this research is to raise the subject of ethics in aesthetics to a new, more transparent level by sharing data from those who participate in it every day,” says Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics. “Recognizing that ethics plays a key role in aesthetics and elevating that conversation is critical for the success of this growing, healthy market and delivering safe aesthetic outcomes for patients.”
An industry fit for the future
Allergan Aesthetics is raising the conversation on patient safety and ethical standards. Discussion on the industry’s current ethical landscape identified areas of focus and opportunities to better support patients and practitioners and create an appropriate standard of care.
To drive words into action, Allergan Medical Institute (AMI) implemented an early injectors training program on ethics. Beginning in 2024, aesthetic practitioners will receive training on the key Aesthetic Medicine ethics principles.4 AMI expects to add this training module to its core curriculum and expand educational offerings on ethics to practitioners of all experience levels.
Allergan Aesthetics is also committed to continuing to develop patient-focused educational programs that look to address patients’ needs and concerns.
With the launch of this initiative at AMWC 2024 in Monaco on the Allergan Aesthetics booth K2 (Ravel Floor) and more to follow in 2024, Allergan Aesthetics’ Aesthetics-Ethics program is ‘moving the needle on ethics’ to shape an aesthetics industry fit for the future.
