A Queensland nurse who injected a patient with Botox without consulting a doctor or obtaining a prescription has been banned from practicing for at least two years.
An investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the national agency that regulates health professionals, found that Thia Jayne Sullivan created false records in relation to cosmetic treatments.
AHPRA also found that Sullivan provided false and misleading information and documents to AHPRA investigators on three occasions in 2019 and 2020.
During the investigation, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Australia placed conditions on Sullivan’s practice in September 2019, banning her from “providing injections for cosmetic purposes”.
An AHPRA investigation found Sullivan falsified records and urged patients not to co-operate with the police. (Reuters: Mike Segar)
Suspected non-compliance
The board suspended her registration in February 2020 due to suspected non-compliance.
The matter was referred to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), which heard Sullivan’s case in September last year.
QCAT was told Sullivan administered injectable cosmetics to a patient, referred to as AR, when she was not authorized to do so and continued to practice as a nurse while suspended.
The court also heard allegations that in 2021, Ms Sullivan tried to discourage two of her patients from co-operating with Queensland police during investigations into her behaviour.
QCAT noted that in 2022, Sullivan pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates’ Court to one count of not being endorsed to possess a restricted drug and three counts of administering a restricted drug to another.
Ms. Sullivan’s registration has been canceled and she is barred from reapplying to renew her registration until September 29, 2027. (Pexels: Jonathan Borba)
The jury also found Sullivan guilty of professional misconduct.
“This is a case where general and specific deterrence are so important. Given her previous decision not to accept her suspension and to act accordingly… there is a public interest in sending a clear message to professionals and members of the public that such contempt is unacceptable and will have consequences,” the court said.
Sullivan’s registration has been canceled and she is barred from reapplying to renew her registration until September 29, 2027.
She is also prohibited from providing any health service, including injectable cosmetics, until she re-registers.
QCAT was told that Sullivan was employed as an injectable cosmetic nurse at Laser Clinics Australia prior to 28 May 2019 and since 9 January 2020 was the owner of T. Aesthetics Clinics, a clinic in East Brisbane.
The court said an investigation into Sullivan was initiated by a “confidential whistleblower” on May 24, 2019, who alleged she administered botox to AR without obtaining a valid prescription.
AHPRA chief executive Justin Understeiner described the court’s decision as “significant”.
He said it was a “good example” of why AHPRA introduced tough new guidelines to clean up the injectable cosmetics industry last year to “ensure patients have added protection and practitioners do not undertake procedures inappropriately”.
“The safety of the public is paramount and this court decision shows that we will leave no stone unturned to investigate and take action against practitioners who do the wrong thing.”
he said.
New guidelines implemented last year require practitioners to undergo additional training on injectables. (Unsplash: Sam Moghadam)
In September, new national guidelines came into effect to protect patients receiving non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as botox injections and fillers.
Under the new guidelines, many professionals need additional training before they can perform procedures such as cosmetic injections.
Rules on advertising have also been tightened, requiring the use of real images and strengthening the ban on the use of testimonials by social media influencers.
Nursing and Midwifery Council of Australia president Veronica Casey said it was important for patients to check the AHPRA practitioner register when undergoing treatments to “make sure their doctor is not suspended or has conditions for registration”.
ABC News has reached out to Sullivan for comment.
