Can a Physician Assistant Administer Juvederm?

Thanks for the great question -

Nurses and physician assistants working under a doctor can perform these injections. There are many very experienced non-physician injectors that do a wonderful job.

Be sure to get information about the experience of your injector as well as what type of doctor is supervising them (ideally it should be a board certified plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or dermatologist).

I hope this helps.

Injections such as filers and toxins both follow under the scope of practice for a physician or a physician assistant to do.  What you need to know and ask is how skilled are they, do they come with references and how much of this do they do.  In our practices all of our injectable procedures are done by PA's and Nurse Practitioners.  Why?  Because that's what they do all day long.  Keep a mind, a physician or any medical provider can claim to be a "jack of all trades" but actually end up being a master of none.
Our Key Physician assistant injectors inject up to 25 patients per day and can out skill and out inject any physician I know.  Simply because they do so much it.  Remember, if you go to the hospital and need an IV placed do you ask to have the MD do it or do you ask to have the nurse do it.  You ask the nurse.  The MD is more than qualified to do it but the nurse does it all day long.  

In many states a PA under the supervision of a doctor can inject fillers, although I think that the patients prefer the doctor to do it in most csaes.

In the state of Virginia a Physician Assistant is allowed to administer Juvederm.  It is important that you ensure the clinician is experienced and well trained in performing these procedures. At my office, myself and our PA administer Juvederm, each with excellent results. 

Best wishes,

Neil Zemmel, MD

Bea:
Injectable fillers (hyaluronic acid, Juvaderm, Restylane) are generally safe and effective in well-trained, experienced hands. The FDA allows manufacturers to promote only specific uses; the nasolabial groove. However physicians are able to use the fillers in other areas (its called off-label use).
Filling along the infraorbital rim, or the under-eye hollows is becoming an increasingly popular use. It can provide a more youthful appearance. It is anatomically more challenging than use in the nasolabial groove, and requires additional understanding of facial anatomy, particularly the eye itself and the structures nearby.
"Cosmetic Injector / Laser Specialist" is a title given to a individual or "job description" by his / her employer. The terms do not have any significance related to licensure, accreditation, certification, training or experience. The person you describe is apparently a certified physician's assistant and depending on individual state laws may be legally able to perform the filler injections under a physician's supervision. My office has an experienced nurse practitioner performing some injections.
Just like selecting a cosmetic plastic surgeon, you should ask about the doctor and PA's training and experience doing the procedure you plan. You may inquire about references, before & after photographs, etc. Be sure to discuss risks and complications and how they would be handled.

It is usually regulated by the individual states Department of Health. You can call and ask your state DOH if this particular procedure falls within their scope of practice. That aside, considering the advanced nature of this injection, you might want to ask for a physician of one of the core specialties (plastic surgery, facial plastic surgery, dermatology, or oculoplastic surgery) to perform it. Juvederm under the eyes is a complicated procedure that requires knowledge, experience, and excellent judgement. It is also not FDA approved but frequently performed off label. It is up to you the patient to make sure that your injector has all the necessary credentials.