Cosmetic injectables: what shapes the cost

Search for what an injectable treatment costs and you will find per-unit prices on other websites. The rules below explain why a clinic may not give you a figure on the phone, and what you can reasonably ask for instead.

Why won't a clinic publish a price?

Because the product is a prescription-only medicine. Under federal therapeutic goods law these medicines cannot be advertised to the public^↗, and the TGA's guidance says a price quoted for one is likely to count as an advertisement^↗. Pairing a product, or a per-unit charge, with a dollar figure crosses that line no matter who publishes it.

What can clinics advertise?

The clinic's service. The TGA's advice is to promote the service, not the medicine^↗, so a clinic can tell you it offers consultations with a doctor or a nurse. The descriptive workarounds are narrowing too: nicknames and descriptive terms for these products are no longer expressly permitted^↗ where a reader would understand them as promoting a prescription-only medicine.

Practitioners answer to Ahpra as well. Advertising for higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures is held to strict rules: no edited or enhanced images, no testimonials, and a clear statement that individual results vary^↗, and it must not be targeted or directed at people under 18^↗. If a clinic's feed is full of glowing patient stories and retouched results, that tells you something before you walk in.

What has to happen before treatment?

• A consultation with the prescriber, in person or by video, every time^↗.
• Prescribing by text, email or online form without that consultation is not acceptable practice^↗.

What are the rules for anyone under 18?

Stricter. National Boards consider that prescription-only cosmetic injectables should not be prescribed for cosmetic purposes to anyone under 18^↗. The Medical Board applies the same under-18 rules for doctors^↗.

Other non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out by a registered health practitioner, such as laser hair removal and chemical peels^↗, come with extra safeguards for a person under 18:

• A cooling-off period of at least seven days^↗, counted from when informed consent is given, not from the first appointment.
• Until that period ends, no money should be payable other than for initial consultations^↗.
• The practitioner should have regard for the views of a parent or guardian^↗, and must be satisfied the young person can consent.

A cooling-off period is a minimum wait, not a green light. The practitioner still has to decide whether any procedure is appropriate for someone that age.

What affects what you pay?

We cannot give you figures, but the rules show you where the cost sits. Ask about each of these:

• The consultation. A prescriber has to see you each time a prescription is written. Ask whether that appointment is charged, and whether it is in person or by video.
• Who treats you. Ask for the practitioner's name and registration, and check it on Ahpra's public register before your appointment, not after.
• What the prescriber recommends. How much treatment you need is decided after assessment, so a total can only follow a consultation.
• How you pay. If you are asked to prepay for a course of visits, read your rights on prepaid packages first.

How do I compare clinics without a price list?

Ask each practitioner you see for a written total covering everything that will be charged, including follow-up visits. Comparing written totals is slower than comparing web pages, and it is the comparison the rules are designed to push you towards. You are also free to leave without booking anything.

This guide summarises TGA guidance checked 16 September 2026 and the Ahpra and Medical Board guidelines verified 16 September 2026. It is general information, not medical or legal advice, and it does not recommend any product, treatment or clinic.

Figures on this page last verified 16 September 2026.