Can Medical Assistants Administer Botox?
| Update: August 30, 2024
Botox and fillers are becoming more and more popular each year as a way to reduce the wrinkles caused by aging and stress. The injections relax the muscles next to wrinkles, causing the skin to look smoother almost instantly. Beyond just making patients look younger, Botox has also been used to treat lazy eyes, muscle contractures, migraines, bladder dysfunction, and more.
If you’re interested in becoming a Medical Assistant, you should consider enrolling in UEI College's Medical Assistant Program.
Are Medical Assistants Allowed to Administer Botox?
Medical assistants are considered “unlicensed” medical professionals, and as such, medical assistants are not permitted to inject Botox into patients, even when working under the direct supervision of a physician.
However, medical assistants may still work in facilities where these procedures are performed and have the training to help in many areas around the office. Their duties may be limited to scheduling and greeting patients, collecting payment or insurance information, taking vitals, and updating a patient’s records and medical history. A medical assistant may also be in the room during a procedure to help the doctor as needed.
If you are interested in becoming a Medical Assistant, consider enrolling in UEI College's Medical Assisting Program. The program is short-term, allowing you to earn a Medical Assistant Diploma in as few as 10 Months!
How Are Botox Injections Performed?
A physician administers Botox with a very thin needle that injects tiny amounts of botulinum toxin into your skin. This toxin is the same toxin that causes botulism, a life-threatening food poisoning, but in these tiny doses, it can help treat several medical issues, including muscle spasms, migraines, and bladder dysfunction—as well as smoothing wrinkles.
A doctor may apply a small amount of anesthesia to the area before making the injection, though in most cases, the injection is almost painless. Multiple injections may be necessary to achieve the desired result, and it may take several days to see the effects. Botox wears off after a few months, so patients need further injections to keep up the results.
Still Interested in Becoming a Medical Assistant?
While Medical Assistants may not be the ones in the office to administer aesthetic injections like Botox or fillers, they do play a vital role in a medical office, and Botox injections can be administered in a general physician’s office, medical spa, or by a plastic surgeon. A Medical assistant may work in any of these facilities to help things run more efficiently.
Medical assistants help with both front-office and back-office tasks. They may be the ones to greet patients, help with the check-in process, answer calls or emails, schedule appointments, stock supplies, update patient records, send out prescription orders or referrals, record patient vitals, help with exams, and handle basic billing functions. No two days are the same for a busy medical assistant.
The best news is you can begin an entry-level position as a medical assistant in as few as ten months with training from UEI College. Our Medical Assistant Program teaches all the basics of working in a healthcare facility.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a Medical Assistant, you should consider enrolling in UEI College's Medical Assisting Program. The program is short-term, allowing you to earn a Medical Assistant Diploma in as few as 10 Months!
